Japan quake toll rises to 62 as rescuers struggle to reach cut-off villages
Al Jazeera
Heavy rain is forecast into Thursday raising the risk of landslides and further complicating relief efforts.
Japanese rescuers continue to search for survivors from Monday’s earthquake in Ishikawa prefecture as authorities warned heavy rain, landslides and repeated aftershocks could hamper relief efforts.
The regional government said on Wednesday that 62 people had been confirmed dead and more than 300 injured, 20 of them seriously.
It warned the death toll was likely to climb further.
The magnitude-7.6 quake struck on Monday afternoon off the Noto Peninsula, flattening houses in Suzu on its northern coast and triggering fires that ravaged parts of nearby Wajima City. It also ripped up roads, adding to the challenge of search and rescue.
More than 31,800 people were in shelters, the government said.
