At least 48 people died in the earthquake that hit the western coast of central Japan on Monday, according to a new report released this Thursday by Japanese authorities.
Previously, Japanese officials had reported that 30 people had died in the earthquake.
Authorities also lifted the tsunami warning.
The earthquake of magnitude 7.6 on the open Richter scale and with its epicenter on the Noto peninsula, led the authorities to activate a tsunami warning, in force for 18 hours, on the western coast of the islands of Honshu and Hokkaido and the north of the island of Kyushu.
The authorities also indicated that 48 people died, many of them in the city of Wajima, a town of around 27,000 inhabitants in the municipality of Ishikawa, which is among the most affected due to its proximity to the epicenter.
The 155 earthquakes that have struck central Japan since Monday have caused “numerous casualties” and significant property damage, including collapsed buildings and fires, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said.
“Saving lives is our priority and we are fighting a battle against time,” Kishida said, adding that it is “critical that people trapped in their homes are rescued immediately.”
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeo today sent a message of condolences to the Japanese Prime Minister for the victims of the earthquake that hit the western coast of central Japan on Monday.
Yoon offered Seoul’s help for recovery work in the affected area and hoped that the local population could quickly return to normal life.
Source: TSF
