AT least 48 people were confirmed dead, with the numbers expected to rise, after a magnitude 7.6 quake startled western Japan on the first day of 2024.
Millions are gripped with fear as the powerful earthquake damaged thousands of buildings and boats, severed access to electricity, destroyed roads, started a fire, and stopped transportation services.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has warned of widespread damage and rescue teams struggling to access remote areas.
Kishida said the government is fighting a battle against time and it is their priority to save people trapped in their homes immediately.
The magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck western Japan on Monday afternoon near the Noto peninsula in Ishikawa prefecture.
It triggered tsunami warnings not heard since 2011 and left tens of thousands without power.
Thousands of people in Japan spent the night in evacuation centers after fleeing their homes to save themselves from a deadly disaster that hit the nation on the first day of 2024.
The “major tsunami warning” was later downgraded but authorities warned people not to try going home yet as waves of up to 3 meters or 10 feet are still anticipated.
