Japan Makes Last-Ditch Effort To Find Earthquake Survivors

(Bloomberg) -- Soldiers, firemen and emergency personnel made last-ditch efforts to rescue any survivors still trapped in the rubble from a New Year’s Day quake that devastated an area on Japan’s northwest coast and killed at least 77 people.

The government doubled the number of Self-Defense Force members to 2,000 to help in relief and rescue efforts as sniffer dogs joined in the search in the Noto peninsula. The 7.6 magnitude quake flattened buildings, buckled roads and led to a blaze that engulfed about 200 structures in the city of Wajima, where officials said at least 43 people have been killed.

Nearly 30,000 residences were without power on Thursday morning, according to Hokuriku Electric Power. Rain is forecast for the next several days for the region about 315 kilometers (195 miles) northwest of Tokyo, increasing the risks of landslides. Powerful aftershocks and frigid temperatures added to the concerns of thousands of people seeking food, water and shelter.

Officials from across Japan have sent personnel and equipment to help. The Tokyo police department sent a rescue team and the city’s fire department dispatched aviation platoons that included helicopters, metropolitan government member Masao Kojo said in a social media post.

In the town of Suzu, a man in his 80s was pulled from a collapsed house 44 hours after the quake, the Yomiuri newspaper reported. The Ishikawa prefectural government has released a list of about two dozen people whose whereabouts are still unknown, adding some 34,000 people are being counted as evacuees.

There have been no estimates given by the government for the total amount of the damage.

While there is not a lot of industry in the Noto peninsula, known for its fishing ports and crafts such as lacquerware, the powerful quake rocked large parts of a broader region where companies have production facilities. 

The earthquake-hit areas are home to many small and medium-sized companies that support local employment. The industry ministry urged financial institutions to respond flexibly to their need for early reconstruction.

Read: Why Almost 150 Earthquakes Struck Japan in Less Than a Day

Japanese stocks fell on their first trading day of the year after US shares slumped on Federal Reserve meeting minutes indicating interest rates will remain elevated for longer, and as the earthquake weighed on investor sentiment.

(Updates with latest number of fatalities in paragraphs 1 and 2.)

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