Hana Sasaki, 77, was having dinner with her 74-year-old husband Yokichi, their son and grandchildren when a series of powerful quakes Saturday evening hit their home in the mountainous area of Ojiya, Niigata Prefecture.
The house collapsed from the impact of the temblors. Yokichi and the son escaped on their own, and rescued the grandchildren from the rubble.
But Hana was crushed by a collapsed pillar. She passed away after begging her husband for help.