Death Toll in Central Japan Quake Rises to 206, 8 Deaths Due to “indirect causes related to the earthquake”

From Jiji

January 10 2024

Kanazawa, Ishikawa Pref – The death toll in Ishikawa Prefecture from a huge earthquake that struck central Japan’s Noto Peninsula on New Year’s Day has risen to 206, the prefectural government said Wednesday.

 Of the total, eight died of indirect causes related to the earthquake, including exhaustion and poor health during evacuation. As of 2 p.m. Wednesday, the number of people still unaccounted for stood at 52.

As some residents are believed to remain under collapsed houses, rescuers continued a large-scale search at the Asaichi Dori market, a tourist attraction in the Ishikawa city of Wajima, where many buildings burned down in the wake of the earthquake.

About 3,100 people in a total of 22 districts remain inaccessible. About 58,900 houses are without water. Some 14,800 houses have no power. Around 26,000 people are staying at stopgap municipal shelters.

The Japanese government plans to focus more on preventing deaths from indirect causes, rushing to move evacuees, especially elderly people, from stopgap shelters to more livable accommodation out of concern about deteriorating sanitary conditions.