Thousands forced from homes by Japan quake face stress, exhaustion

WAJIMA, Japan — Thousands of people made homeless by a powerful earthquake on the western coast of Japan were coping with weariness and uncertainty a week after the temblor left at least 180 dead and dozens missing.

The rescue effort since the magnitude 7.6 New Year’s Day quake has drawn thousands of troops, firefighters and police, who picked through collapsed buildings Monday hoping to find survivors.

Authorities warned of the danger of landslides, exacerbated by a snowfall, around the quake’s epicenter on the Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa prefecture. The landscape blanketed in white revealed burned and crumbled houses, ashen blocks of a city, highways with gaping holes and cracks.

The deaths included 81 people in Wajima, 71 in Suzu, 18 in Anamizu and the rest were spread among four other towns. At least 120 people were still unaccounted for, declining from a jump Monday to some 300 as rescuers pore over a list of the region’s population. Another 565 people were injured, and 1,414 homes were destroyed or seriously damaged.

A tsunami of several feet followed the initial major quake, adding to the damage. Aftershocks have continued daily.

Japanese meteorological officials warned strong quakes could persist for another month. Their frequency, while gradually diminishing, remained high compared to past quakes, totaling more than 1,000.

For residents, recovery work has barely started. Shuji Yoshiura, a fisherman, said his boats were damaged and he could not go out on the sea.

Before the quake, Wajima was a tourist town with a shopping street offering seafood and traditional crafts. Much of it was destroyed in the fires that broke out after the Jan. 1 disaster.

Kentaro Mitsumori, who runs a corner grocery shop, slept in his car with his wife to guard against looting. Their store still stands but has no lock, electricity or running water. Everything sold out in three days. But he plans to close his business.