Hunt on for survivors
TOKYO: Rescuers are struggling to dig out survivors believed to have been buried after a powerful earthquake set off massive landslips on Japan’s northernmost island of Hokkaido.
Rescue and search operations intensified to find 26 people in the town of Atsuma, where Thursday’s magnitude6.7 quake triggered landslips that crushed houses and roads.
At least 16 people were killed and more than 300 injured in the quake, said central and local government officials.
More than 6400 spent the night in temporary evacuation centres as about 100 aftershocks continued to shake the region.
Meteorological agency official Toshiyuki Matsumori warned strong quakes could strike the affected areas again within the next six days.
Government spokesman Yoshihide Suga also warned of fresh landslips, as heavy rain is forecast for some regions of Hokkaido over the weekend.
The quake caused a blackout across the whole island, resulting in nearly 3 million households losing electricity.
Yesterday, more than 1.5 million households remained without power and Industry Minister Hiroshige Seko said it could take up to a week to be fully restored.
The quake came days after the nation was left reeling from the most powerful storm to hit the country in 25 years. Typhoon Jebi battered western Japan on Tuesday, killing 11 people and injuring hundreds.