Japan Quake: Rescuers Rush To Reach Survivors - 'The Situation Is Catastrophic'

Japan quake: Rescuers rush to reach survivors

 Kiyoshi Takenaka, Sakura Murakami and Kantaro Komiya

• At least 55 killed in 7.6 magnitude quake on Jan 1
• Major damage to roads, houses on west coast of main island
• Thousands of rescuers struggling to reach worst-hit areas
• Resident tells of miraculous escape from toppled home

WAJIMA, Japan, Jan 2 (Reuters) - A powerful earthquake that hit Japan on New Year's Day killed at least 55 people, with rescue teams struggling in freezing temperatures on Tuesday to reach coastal areas where many are feared trapped under possibly thousands of destroyed homes.

In Suzu, a town of just over 5,000 households near the quake's epicentre, 90% of houses may have been destroyed, according to its mayor Masuhiro Izumiya.

"The situation is catastrophic," he said.

The quake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.6 struck on Monday afternoon, prompting people in western coastal areas to flee to higher ground as tsunami waves swept cars and houses into the water.

Around 200 tremors have been detected since the quake first hit on Monday, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency, which warned that more strong shocks could hit in coming days.

A Coast Guard aircraft en route to deliver aid to the quake-hit region collided with a commercial airplane in Tokyo’s Haneda airport on Tuesday, killing five Coast Guard. All 379 on board the Japan Airlines flight escaped.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said the extent of damage from the quake was becoming "increasingly clear" more than 24 hours after it struck on the Noto peninsula in Ishikawa prefecture.

"The government has deployed emergency rescue teams from the Self-Defence Forces, police and fire departments to the area and is doing its utmost to save lives and rescue victims and survivors, but we have received reports that there are still many people waiting to be rescued under collapsed buildings."

Many rail services and flights into the quake area have been suspended. More than 500 people were stranded at Noto's airport which closed due to cracks in its runway and access road and damage to its terminal building.

Authorities have confirmed 55 deaths, all in Ishikawa prefecture, making it Japan's deadliest earthquake since 2016.

Scores more have been injured and authorities were battling blazes in several cities on Tuesday and hauling people from collapsed buildings.

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