Japan witnesses 1,200 tremors in a week since the powerful earthquake hit

Japan’s Noto Peninsula located in the Ishikawa Prefecture has recorded estimated 1,214 tremors since the powerful magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck the country. The tremors were rated at 1 on the seven-point seismic intensity scale and occurred within a span of a week. According to NHK broadcaster, Japan's Meteorological Agency has warned about the possibility of strong tremors that may be expected this week, primarily in the cities of Wajima and Suzu.

As the search and rescue efforts are underway, it is reported that the workers are unable to reach some heavily ruined areas. In the aftermath of the earthquake, several roadways, bridges, and communication systems have hampered. As a result of the devastating earthquake, 161 were left dead and at least 103 remain unaccounted for in Japan. Japanese Prime minister Fumio Kishida stated that Japan's Self-Defense Forces have deployed 5,900 rescue workers in order to search for the survivors under the rubble.

Recovery effort from quake ‘a battle against time’: Kishida

At a press conference after the earthquake jolted the region of Japan, Kishida said that members of the self-defence forces are responding at the scenes of heavy damage. The troops, he said, are assisting the police and firefighting personnel in order to mitigate the impact of the losses. "The search and rescue of those impacted by the quake is a battle against time," Kishida said during an emergency disaster meeting that was broadcast on state television. "We must rescue them as quickly as possible, especially those who are trapped under collapsed structures,” he continued to add. Japanese Prime Minister added that the earthquake started many fires and that the recovery effort was difficult particularly in the the northern tip of Ishikawa's Noto peninsula as the roads were heavily damaged.

The scale of heavy damages to the civilian infrastructure from the quake became clearer after, as footages showing rows of homes collapsed, cars overturned, residential complexes collapsed, and uprooted trees blocking the roads and passages, emerged, which in turn hindered the recovery efforts. As the buildings and road concrete spread crumbled, the weather forecasters predicted incessant rainfall that could further complicate the rescue missions. The death toll has been on a spike as dozens of people are still missing or reported severely injured.