Saving many lives in the rubble

A woman was pulled from the rubble 72 hours after a series of powerful earthquakes rocked Japan’s west coast. Another elderly man was found alive on Wednesday in a collapsed house in the town of Suzu, one of the hardest-hit areas in Ishikawa prefecture.

His daughter called out: “Dad, Dad” as a group of firefighters carried him out on a stretcher, praising him for holding on so long after Monday's 7.6-magnitude earthquake.

earthquake in japan rescue many people in the earthquake hundreds of people still missing photo 1 — A woman lying on a stretcher found trapped under her destroyed home was rescued 72 hours after the earthquake. Photo: AP

Ishikawa prefectural officials said 55 people were killed in the town of Wajima and 23 in Suzu. More than 460 people were injured, at least 24 seriously.

The Earthquake Research Institute at the University of Tokyo found that the sandy coastline in western Japan has moved up to 250 meters seaward in some places.

The earthquakes sparked a massive fire in the town of Wajima, as well as triggering tsunamis and landslides in the area. With some roads cut off by the devastation, worries are growing for communities where water, food, blankets and medicine have yet to arrive.

Thousands of Japanese troops have joined efforts to reach the hardest-hit areas on the Noto Peninsula, the epicenter of the earthquake. The United States on Friday announced $100,000 in aid, including blankets, water and medical supplies, and promised more aid to Japan.

Experts warn of the risk of illness and even death in evacuation centers currently housing some 34,000 homeless people, many of them elderly.

Masashi Tomari, 67, an oyster farmer who lives in Anamizu City, Ishikawa, said sleeping on the floor with just a blanket was difficult. “It was a cold and terrible place,” he said.

earthquake in japan rescue many people in the earthquake hundreds of people still missing photo 2 — People affected by the earthquake receive food in Wajima, Ishikawa, Japan on January 5, 2024. Photo: AP

“There were so many shops on this street. Now they’re all gone. We’ll probably have to work hard to rebuild,” said Sachiko Kato, a clothing store owner in Anamizu. As of Friday, running water had not been fully restored in Anamizu. Kato had to fetch water from a nearby river to flush her toilet.

Dozens of aftershocks have rocked Ishikawa and surrounding areas over the past week. Weather forecasts call for rain and snow over the weekend, with experts warning of more aftershocks.

Tsutomu Ishikawa, who oversees a plastics company called Aras that makes fashionable plates and cups, said no one around him was killed, but the garment factory was severely damaged.

Sachiko Takagi, who owns a kimono shop on Wajima’s picturesque shopfront, says she is lucky her 80-year-old shop – passed down through generations – is still standing. Others are not so lucky.

Mai Anh (according to AP)

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