Rescue efforts in Ishikawa Prefecture are continuing with heightened urgency in the wake of the powerful earthquake on New Year’s Day that left at least 65 dead and over 300 injured, with the crucial window for rescue efforts rapidly closing.
Over 33,000 people are staying in evacuation centers with limited access to electricity and water.
Aftershocks continue in the area, and Wajima experienced a quake measuring level 5 on the Japanese earthquake intensity scale Wednesday morning. The meteorological agency has warned that the wider prefecture could experience another level 7 tremor — the same strength as the first major quake on Monday — within the next week.