A series of powerful earthquakes that hit western Japan left at least 57 people dead and damaged thousands of buildings, vehicles and boats. Officials warned on Tuesday that more quakes could lie ahead. Aftershocks continued to shake Ishikawa prefecture and nearby areas a day after a magnitude 7.6 tremor slammed the area. The damage was so great that it could not immediately be assessed. Japanese media reports said tens of thousands of homes were destroyed. Water, power and cell phone service were still down in some areas.

Residents expressed sorrow about their uncertain futures. "It is not just that it is a mess. The wall has collapsed, and you can see through to the next room. I do not think we can live here anymore," Miki Kobayashi, an Ishikawa resident, said as she swept around her house. The house was also damaged in a 2007 quake, she said. Two of the latest reported deaths came from Suzu, where the death toll grew to 22 people, according to city officials. Twenty-four people died in nearby Wajima city. Although casualty numbers continued to climb gradually, the prompt public warnings relayed on broadcasts and phones, and the quick response from the general public and officials appeared to have limited some of the damage.