It is the deadliest natural disaster in Japan since giant floods in the west of the country in 2018, which left more than 220 dead. It is also the deadliest earthquake in the archipelago since those which struck the island of Kyushu (southwest) in 2016, causing nearly 300 deaths.
The January 1 earthquake in central Japan killed 202 people, according to a new provisional count released Tuesday by authorities in the Ishikawa department, where the disaster occurred. The number of people still missing from authorities fell at the same time, reaching 102, compared to 120 according to previous figures.
3,000 inhabitants cut off from the world
More than a week after the disaster, more than 3,000 inhabitants of the peninsula are still cut off from the world while awaiting relief, which is slowed down by rain and snow, and the persistent blocking of roads due to landslides.
More than 28,000 people are still living in some 400 evacuation centers, and some of these shelters are overcrowded and lacking food and heating. Nearly 60,000 homes are still without access to running water and more than 15,000 remain without electricity on Tuesday.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Tuesday called on his ministers to “resolve” the problem of communities still isolated on the Noto Peninsula and “tenaciously continue rescue operations”. The government is also trying to transfer evacuees to centers outside the disaster areas, where the supply of basic necessities is not a problem.