The recent earthquake in Japan has caused significant damage and loss of life, with a 7.5-magnitude quake striking Ishikawa prefecture on the main island of Honshu. The quake triggered tsunami waves more than a meter high, sparking a major fire and tearing apart roads. The Noto peninsula in Ishikawa was the most severely hit, with several hundred buildings ravaged by fire and houses flattened in several towns, including Wajima and Suzu. The regional government announced that 62 people had been confirmed dead and more than 300 injured, 20 of them seriously.
However, the death toll rose to 84 as a critical 72-hour window of time to find those still unaccounted for expired. More than 31,800 people were in shelters, and Japanese media reports said tens of thousands of homes had been destroyed. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida emphasized the urgency of rescue efforts, urging rescuers to remain fully mindful of their race against time and to continue to save lives.
The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) issued a heavy rain warning in the area, increasing the risk of landslides. In the coastal city of Suzu, Mayor Masuhiro Izumiya reported that there were “almost no houses standing” and that about 90% of the houses in the town were completely or almost completely destroyed. The quake’s epicenter was on the peninsula, which protrudes into the Sea of Japan.