Kanazawa, Ishikawa Pref., Feb. 1 (Jiji Press)–One month after the massive earthquake that struck the Noto Peninsula in central Japan on Jan. 1, reconstruction is not yet in sight for the hardest-hit areas, with water supplies still cut off in many areas and infrastructure for daily life yet to be restored.
In Ishikawa Prefecture, the death toll from the 7.6-magnitude earthquake stood at 238 as of 2 p.m. Wednesday, including 101 each in the cities of Suzu and Wajima, and 19 people are still unaccounted for, according to the prefectural government.
While most of the victims were killed directly by the earthquake, including those trapped in collapsed houses, a total of 15 fatalities–six each in Suzu and the town of Noto and three in Wajima–were caused by indirect causes such as stress from prolonged evacuation.
More than 44,900 houses and other residential buildings were completely or partially destroyed, slightly damaged or inundated above floor level in Ishikawa.
For evacuees, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has announced that about 23,700 housing units have been secured in four prefectures in the Hokuriku region, including Ishikawa.
Currently, about 14,600 people are staying in evacuation centers, with many sleeping in school gyms and other facilities.
Water outages, a major problem in rebuilding people’s lives, continue in most areas of six municipalities including the cities of Nanao and Wajima, with the total number of households without water in Ishikawa above 40,000. Water supplies are not expected to be fully restored until April or later.
The quake also dealt a serious blow to industries. Ground uplift was observed at 21 fishing ports including those in Suzu and Wajima, exposing the seabed or making the water too shallow for ships to enter. Cracks and cave-ins were found in many agricultural fields and roads in Kanazawa, Ishikawa’s capital.
Volunteer activities in the affected areas only began on Saturday, as piles of debris remain in the hardest-hit areas.
JIJI Press