Deadly New Year’s Earthquake in Japan Causes Widespread Stress and Exhaustion

(DailyDig.com) – A week following a massive earthquake on Japan’s western coast left more than 168 dead and scores missing, thousands of individuals were still struggling with the catastrophe.

Authorities cautioned of the possibility of landslides surrounding the quake’s epicenter, located on the Noto Peninsula in the Ishikawa prefecture, compounded by excessive snowfall. Following the first large quake, the ocean bottom off the shore shifted, resulting in a tsunami wave reaching upwards of several feet. Daily aftershocks have occurred.

Thousands of police, firemen, and military personnel have gathered following the magnitude 7.6 earthquake on January 1, which was felt from Tokyo, about 300 miles distant. On January 2, rescue crews hurried to discover survivors trapped beneath fallen houses in frigid weather and searched through collapsed structures for survivors.

A minimum of 323 individuals were still missing, up from around 100 earlier that day, as rescuers combed through a list of the region’s inhabitants. In addition, 565 people sustained injuries, and 1,390 dwellings were destroyed or severely damaged.

Strong earthquakes might continue for another month, according to Japanese meteorological experts. Their frequency, despite progressively decreasing, remained high in comparison to previous quakes, reaching over 1,000.

Almost 30,000 individuals are being held in auditoriums, schools, and other centers for evacuation, fearful of infections and other ailments spreading as they were still lying on chilly floors in the shelters. Following the first assistance of a cup of water with a slice of bread for every individual per day, more assistance is enabling certain facilities to start offering hot meals prepared in large pots.

Three burners could not adequately heat the school’s large hall, prompting the use of additional heaters.

People were overjoyed by the makeshift bathing facilities put up by the military, allowing them to relax in the warm water they had been missing for days.

Exhaustion and worry are still dragging them down. Many people are in grief. The initial quake happened on New Year’s Day, when families in Japan congregated. Some survivors claimed to be alone because they had lost loved ones.