Japan earthquake: Aftershocks continue in quake zone as death toll rises to 64

Days after the 7.6-magnitude earthquake, hundreds of people are still believed to be trapped under rubble.

By 8am today, nearly 130 requests for the rescue of people trapped under collapsed structures had been recorded, according to the Japan Times.

In Suzu alone, more than 72 rescue requests remained pending.

In the areas of Noto, Anamizu, and Nanao, a total of over 60 people were isolated and cut off from any aid.

“It has been over 40 hours since the earthquake and there continue to be many reports of people who need rescue,” prime minister Fumio Kishida said this morning.

“We must keep in mind that this is a race against time and continue to put all our labour into rescue efforts, with life-saving as our top priority.”

The likelihood of survival significantly drops after 72 hours following an earthquake.

The aerial photos show capsized boats in the harbour of the city of Suzu, Ishikawa prefecture on 3 January 2024, after a major 7.6 magnitude earthquake struck the Noto region in Ishikawa prefecture on New Year’s Day.

Japanese rescuers scrambled to search for survivors on 3 January as authorities warned of landslides and heavy rain after a powerful earthquake that killed at least 64 people.

The fault responsible for the devastating earthquake in Japan on New Year’s Day might extend approximately 150 kilometres beneath the Noto peninsula, a government panel of experts revealed yesterday.

They indicated that aftershocks are expected to persist for the time being.

The panel said that the magnitude-7.6 earthquake was likely triggered by a reverse fault — which is characterised by the upward displacement of the upper hanging wall away from the footwall.

The USGS website defines reverse fault as “a dip-slip fault in which the upper block, above the fault plane, moves up and over the lower block”.

This type of faulting is common in areas of compression, it says, “such as regions where one plate is being subducted under another as in Japan”.

The area of tectonic activity has been expanding in and around the region, they said.

Seismology experts warned of potent aftershocks in the days ahead as they grappled with understanding the factors behind the New Year’s Day magnitude-7.6 earthquake in the Noto region of Ishikawa prefecture.

Junichi Nakajima, a professor of seismology at Tokyo Institute of Technology told the Japan Times that it was extremely large for a land-based quake.

“Generally speaking, an earthquake swarm does not produce a quake with a magnitude over 6. To be honest, I am surprised because this means a fault moved over a wide area,” he said.

The Noto peninsula has experienced occasional strong jolts over the past three years, although experts say that none have approached the magnitude of the one on 1 January.

Naoshi Hirata, professor emeritus of seismology at the University of Tokyo who also chairs the government’s Earthquake Research Committee said: “I cannot make a conclusive statement until I peruse the detailed data because the focus is close (to other large quakes in the region),” he said. “But I believe this was the biggest in this latest spate of seismic activity.”

He said that the magnitude of the earthquake on 1 January exceeded that of both the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake and the 1995 Great Hanshin earthquake, which resulted in approximately 6,400 casualties.

According to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), more than 400 aftershocks have struck the region as of this morning.

The 7.6-magnitude earthquake on New Year’s Day was followed by hundreds of aftershocks, with officials warning these could continue for up to a week.

Some regions in the Noto peninsula, the epicentre of the initial quake, remain cut off due to damaged roads, landslides and large fires.

“To secure the route there, we are to mobilise all the means of transport, not only on the ground but also by aerial and marine transport. We have been making an effort to transfer goods, supplies and personnel there since last night,” prime minister Fumio Kishida said.

Rescue agency officials are distributing water, blankets, food and other supplies today to the survivors of the massive earthquake in Ishikawa.

In some of the earthquake-hit regions, power, water and cell phone service were still down.

“Hardly any of the homes are standing. They are either partially or totally destroyed,” said Masuhiro Izumiya, the mayor of Suzu city.

Search dogs have also joined the rescue efforts besides firefighters and the military. Dozens of people are still believed to be trapped under rubble.