Rescuers ‘battle against time’ as death toll rises to 30

INA-sources
 
Japan’s prime minister Fumio Kishida said rescuers were in a “battle against time” as the death toll from the series of strong earthquakes rose to 30.
 
A magnitude of 7.6 jolted Japan on Monday afternoon damaging buildings and roads, which also prompted the country to issue tsunami warnings along the coast. The tsunami warnings were later lifted on early Tuesday morning.
 
Emergency services rushed to rescue people trapped under rubble in Ishikawa prefecture on the main central island of Honshu on New Year’s Day after buildings collapsed.
 
Thousands of army personnel, firefighters and police officers from have been dispatched to the worst-hit area in the relatively remote Noto peninsula.
 
“The search and rescue of those impacted by the quake is a battle against time,” prime minister Fumio Kishida said during an emergency disaster meeting.
 
He added that rescuers were finding it very difficult to reach the northern tip of the peninsula due to wrecked roads, and that helicopter surveys had discovered many fires and widespread damage to buildings and infrastructure.
 
The Meteorological Agency said in a news conference that more major quakes could hit the area over the next week, especially in the next two or three days.
 
Source: The Independent