Japanese rescuers are rushing to find 242 people missing after a devastating New Year's Day earthquake hit the Island nation. However, a critical 72-hour period to find survivors from when the quake struck ended late on Thursday (January 4).
As per local media, Japan's Self-Defense Forces doubled the number of troops taking part in rescue and relief to 4,600.
"The biggest challenge for us is the access. Most disastrous areas are difficult to reach because of the rocks on the roads and landslides caused by the rain and the aftershocks," Musubi Yata from the Japanese Red Cross Society said to BBC.
"We will not give up," Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said today after a meeting with disaster response officials.
Meanwhile, the number of people that fell victim to the January 1 earthquake continues to rise. The death toll from the 7.6 magnitude earthquake in the remote Noto peninsula rose to 92. The earthquake flattened several homes, triggered a tsunami and cutt off remote communities.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote to his Japanese counterpart expressing India's solidarity with Japan. Modi wrote to Kishida that India values its relationship with Japan as a special strategic partner, and extend all possible assistance at this hour, as per PTI.
"I am deeply anguished and concerned to learn about the major earthquake that struck Japan on January 1," Modi said. "I express my deepest condolences to the bereaved families of those who lost their lives. We stand in solidarity with Japan and its people affected by the disaster."
First Published: Jan 5, 2024 4:12 PM IST
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