Woman in 90s pulled from rubble five days after Japan quake
Published: 06:01 AM,Jan 07,2024 | EDITED : 10:01 AM,Jan 07,2024
Japan: A woman in her 90s trapped for five days under the rubble by a huge earthquake in central Japan was rescued against the odds, but snow and storms were expected to complicate relief efforts on Sunday.
At least 126 people died in the magnitude-7.5 tremor on New Year's Day and its aftershocks -- a toll that is sure to rise, with 222 others reported missing to local authorities.
The jolt and its aftershocks toppled buildings, sparked a major fire and triggered tsunami waves of over a metre.
The hope of finding survivors usually fades three days after a destructive quake.
But the elderly woman spent five days under the wreckage of a collapsed house in the city of Suzu before being saved on Saturday.
She was taken to hospital for treatment and was responding clearly to questions, according to public broadcaster NHK.
'Hang in there!' rescuers were heard calling to the woman in police footage from the scene published by local media.
Cold rain was forecast to turn to snow by Sunday afternoon in the peninsula on the Sea of Japan side of the country's main Honshu island. - Helicopter missions - The bad weather threatened to further hamper the challenging recovery mission of thousands of police, troops and other rescue workers.
It could also worsen conditions for more than 30,000 people in 366 government shelters as of Saturday, with relief materials slow to reach areas suffering water and power outages.
'The first priority has been to rescue people under the rubble, and to reach isolated communities,' Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said in an interview with NHK on Sunday.
The military has sent small groups of troops to each of the isolated communities on foot, he said.
At least 126 people died in the magnitude-7.5 tremor on New Year's Day and its aftershocks -- a toll that is sure to rise, with 222 others reported missing to local authorities.
The jolt and its aftershocks toppled buildings, sparked a major fire and triggered tsunami waves of over a metre.
The hope of finding survivors usually fades three days after a destructive quake.
But the elderly woman spent five days under the wreckage of a collapsed house in the city of Suzu before being saved on Saturday.
She was taken to hospital for treatment and was responding clearly to questions, according to public broadcaster NHK.
'Hang in there!' rescuers were heard calling to the woman in police footage from the scene published by local media.
Cold rain was forecast to turn to snow by Sunday afternoon in the peninsula on the Sea of Japan side of the country's main Honshu island. - Helicopter missions - The bad weather threatened to further hamper the challenging recovery mission of thousands of police, troops and other rescue workers.
It could also worsen conditions for more than 30,000 people in 366 government shelters as of Saturday, with relief materials slow to reach areas suffering water and power outages.
'The first priority has been to rescue people under the rubble, and to reach isolated communities,' Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said in an interview with NHK on Sunday.
The military has sent small groups of troops to each of the isolated communities on foot, he said.