Over 300 unaccounted for after Japan quake, snow hampers rescue work, fear of COVID spreading at evacuation centers

From Kyodo, The Japan News

January 9 2024

Ishikawa – The death toll from a New Year’s Day earthquake in central Japan rose to 168 on Monday, with more than 300 unaccounted for, authorities said, as snow and rain hamper rescue operations and efforts to relocate survivors to hotels amid fears of COVID-19 spreading in evacuation centers.

The number of people unable to be contacted increased by more than 100 from Sunday to 323, including 281 in Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture, according to the prefectural government.

A week has passed since the quake occurred on New Year’s Day, and more than 28,000 people are still living in shelters. They are expected to have to live as evacuees for a prolonged period, so support measures such as building temporary housing are an urgent task for the government.

The prefecture has not released the quake victims’ names nor the causes of their deaths. The prefecture has received many calls for help related to collapsed houses and has not been able to respond to all of them.

As part of rescue activities on Sunday, the Self Defense Force mobilized nine ships and about 40 helicopters and other aircraft, together with about 5,900 SDF members transporting aid supplies and sick people.

About 1,200 members from 24 prefectural police’s regional emergency rescue squads have also been sent to Ishikawa Prefecture to join search efforts and rescue activities.

As of Sunday, 28,821 people were living in shelters, including 11,932 in Wajima, 6,869 in Suzu and 3,833 in Noto. A total of 66,117 households in Nanao, Wajima, Shika and other municipalities were still without running water.

According to the prefecture, at least 2,318 people were isolated in Wajima, Suzu, Anamizu and Noto.

At the site of a quake-triggered landslide in Anamizu that killed five people and destroyed three houses, nine other people were newly found dead out of 11 people who are also believed to have been caught up in the disaster.

Police are trying to identify the nine, seven of whom are apparently family members of Naoyuki Teramoto, 52, an employee of a home for disabled people in Kanazawa.