Reports indicate that more than 240 individuals have been reported missing following a powerful earthquake that struck the western coast of Japan on New Year’s Day.
Local media has stated that the government has increased the deployment of soldiers to the disaster area to 4,600 in order to assist emergency services.
Four days after the earthquake, the race against time continues in the search and rescue efforts for survivors, with numerous reports of individuals trapped under collapsed buildings.
The extensive debris, damaged infrastructure, landslides, and ongoing aftershocks are posing challenges for the rescue teams.
Ishikawa Prefecture, the most severely affected area, has approximately 700 people still isolated from outside assistance. Additionally, around 30,000 households are without electricity, and 80,000 households are without water, according to the reports.
Local authorities have indicated that roughly 33,000 individuals are currently seeking refuge in numerous emergency shelters.