Death toll from Japan earthquakes rises to 126, rain & snow pose more challenges

Aftershocks threatened to bury more homes and block roads crucial for relief shipments as the death toll from the earthquakes that rattled Japans western coastline this past week rose to 126 on SaturdayAmong the dead was a 5yearold boy who had been recovering from injuries after boiling water spilled on him during Mondays 76 magnitude earthquake His condition suddenly worsened and he died Friday according to Ishikawa prefecture the hardesthit regionOfficials warned that roads already cracked from the dozens of earthquakes that continue to shake the area could collapse completely That risk was growing with rain and snow expected overnight and SundayThe death toll on Saturday rose to 126 Wajima city has recorded the highest number of deaths with 69 followed by Suzu with 38 More than 500 people were injured at least 27 of them seriously The temblors left roofs sitting haplessly on roads and everything beneath them crushed flat Roads were warped like rubber A fire turned a neighbourhood in Wajima to ashesMore than 200 people were still unaccounted for although the number has fluctuated Eleven people were reported trapped under two homes that collapsed in AnamizuFor Shiro Kokuda 76 the house in Wajima where he grew up was spared but a nearby temple went up in flames and he was still looking for his friends at evacuation centres Its been really tough he saidJapan is one of the fastestaging societies in the world The population in Ishikawa and nearby areas has dwindled over the years A fragile economy centred on crafts and tourism was now more imperiled than everIn an unusual gesture from nearby North Korea leader Kim Jong Un sent a message of condolence to Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida the official Korean Central News Agency reported SaturdayJapan earlier received messages expressing sympathy and promises of aid from President Joe Biden and other alliesJapanese government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters that Japan was grateful to all the messages including the one from North Korea Hayashi said the last time Japan received a condolence message from North Korea for a disaster was in 1995Along Japans coastline power was gradually being restored but water supplies were still short Emergency water systems were also damaged Thousands of troops were flying and trucking in water food and medicine to the more than 30000 people who had evacuated to auditoriums schools and other facilitiesThe nationally circulated Yomiuri newspaper reported that its aerial study had located more than 100 landslides in the area and some were blocking lifeline roadsThe urgency of the rescue operations intensified as the days wore on But some have clung to life trapped under pillars and walls and were freedThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever