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January 3, 2024

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Japanese earthquake toll hits 48

JAPANESE rescuers battled the clock and powerful aftershocks yesterday to find survivors of a New Year’s Day earthquake that killed at least 48 people and caused widespread destruction.

The 7.5-magnitude quake that rattled Ishikawa Prefecture on the main island of Honshu triggered tsunami waves more than a meter high, toppled houses, caused a major fire and tore apart roads.

On the Noto Peninsula, the destruction included buildings damaged by fire, houses flattened, fishing boats sunk or washed ashore, and highways hit by landslides.

“I’m amazed the house is this broken and everyone in my family managed to come out of it unscathed,” said Akiko, standing outside her parent’s tilting home in the badly hit city of Wajima.

The way 2024 started “will be etched into my memory forever,” she said after what she called the “long and violent” earthquake on Monday.

Authorities put the death toll at 48, but the number was expected to rise as rescuers comb through the rubble.

“Very extensive damage has been confirmed, including numerous casualties, building collapses and fires,” Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said after a disaster response meeting.




 

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