Woman in her 90s rescued from rubble 5 days after deadly Japan quake
January 8, 2024
A woman in her 90s was rescued alive in Suzu city, Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan, five days after the deadly earthquake struck the region.
Rescuing the woman: Rescue workers, including the police, successfully pulled the woman from under a collapsed house on Saturday. The elderly woman’s survival for more than five days defied the typical diminishing chances after the first 72 hours. She was reportedly found trapped beneath the first floor of a two-story house and was rescued at around 8:20 p.m. local time. The unidentified woman, who showed signs of hypothermia, was transported to a hospital, where it was noted that she had leg injuries.
Death toll update: A 5-year-old boy, who had been recovering from injuries sustained when boiling water spilled on him during the 7.5 magnitude earthquake that struck last week, tragically passed away on Friday, contributing to the death toll. The total number of deaths have climbed to at least 168, as of Monday. Among these numbers include 70 people in Wajima, 70 in Suzu and 18 in Anamizu. Another 565 people were injured, while more than 323 others are still missing.
Rescue operations: A widespread effort involving soldiers, firefighters and others led to dramatic rescues. Aftershocks and adverse weather conditions, including rain and snow, raised concerns about further collapses of cracked roads crucial for relief efforts. As of early Monday, Japanese public broadcaster NHK has reported that over 1,200 tremors have been documented since New Year’s Day.
Power was gradually being restored along the coastline, but water supplies reportedly remained scarce, with emergency water systems damaged. Thousands of troops were mobilized to deliver water, food and medicine to over 30,000 evacuees in auditoriums, schools and other facilities.
Share this Article
Share this Article
