About 300 missing and 168 dead in the Japan earthquake a week later

This Monday marks one week since the devastating earthquake in the center of Japanwhich has left at least 168 dead and more than 300 missing, while the search for victims and assistance to those affected continues to be hampered by snow and damage to roads.

Local authorities today provided the latest data on confirmed deaths from the 7.6 magnitude earthquake that hit Ishikawa Prefecture, and announced that another 323 people remain unaccounted for as a result of the disaster.

Most of the deaths occurred in the towns of Wajima and Suzu, where search and rescue tasks are also concentrated, while more than 500 people were injured to varying degrees in the area. earthquake most devastating in Japan over the last decade.

Snow and closed roads

Land access to the north of the Noto peninsula, the area hardest hit by the earthquake, has been practically blocked by the numerous road closures damaged by the earthquake or by rock falls, land avalanches or falling poles, buildings and other infrastructure.

Added to this is the cold air front that is leaving temperatures below zero and snowfall of up to 13 centimeters in the area, which makes vehicle traffic even more difficult and increases the risk of new collapses or landslides in buildings damaged by the earthquake, or of causing hypothermia to people who are in homes or shelters without electricity or running water in some cases.

Furthermore, during the last few days the aftershocks of the earthquake have continued with the epicenter also in the Noto area, including some with a magnitude greater than 5, tremors that, together with the adverse weather conditions, have caused new earth movements and more damage to buildings or transportation routes.

The Ministry of Transportation has indicated that it does not yet know when traffic will be able to resume normally on the main access roads to Noto, a situation that has led some experts to criticize the authorities’ delay in repairing key infrastructure to provide basic supplies to those affected and to facilitate rescue tasks.

The Japanese Prime Minister, Fumio Kishida, stated the day before that “everything possible” will be done to assist people in the “large areas that remain isolated,” and said that measures such as access on foot or by helicopter are being considered. part of the Self-Defense Forces (Army) of Japan.

Kishida also announced that the earthquake in central Japan will be designated as an “extraordinary disaster,” which will allow special administrative treatment for those affected when requesting aid or procedures of all kinds.

Gyms and hotels to welcome refugees

Some 28,000 people remain sheltered in temporary evacuation centers, while there are nearly 15,000 homes without running water and more than 14,000 without electricity.

In addition, it is estimated that more than 2,000 people in Ishikawa remain isolated in 24 locations due to damage to roads and paths.

This situation has led the regional authorities to set up a new evacuation center in a public gym in the city of Kanazawa, where more than 200 tents have been installed to accommodate the elderly, pregnant women and other people with disabilities starting this Tuesday. special needs.

The central Executive has also asked traditional hotels and hostels in the area to offer temporary accommodation to the refugees, and it is expected that in the coming days the victims who are in more precarious situations will be transferred there.

Last Monday’s earthquake is already the deadliest in Japan since the one in 2011, a 9-degree tremor that caused a tsunami which left more than 20,000 dead and caused the Fukushima nuclear disaster, the worst since Chernobyl (Ukraine) in 1986.