Japan earthquake: Death toll reaches 48, Tsunami warning lifted

TOKYO: At least 48 people were killed in the massive earthquake that hit Japan on New Year's Day. Rescue operations are underway to rescue those trapped among the collapsed buildings. Although a tsunami warning was issued following the earthquake, it was lifted this morning.

An earthquake measuring 7.6 on the Richter scale hit central Japan and surrounding areas on Monday, causing widespread destruction. According to national broadcaster NHK, injuries were reported in the prefectures of Ishikawa, Niigata, Fukui, Toyama, and Gifu. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told a press briefing on Tuesday that relief efforts are being hampered by obstructions on the roads.

According to the Prime Minister, around 1,000 members of Japan's Self-Defence Forces (SDF) were engaged in search and rescue efforts in quake-hit areas.

Japan's national news agency Kyodo said that a series of building collapses and fires killed at least 30 people in the worst-hit Ishikawa prefecture. Ishikawa was the epicentre of Monday's 7.6-magnitude earthquake.

In Suzu, on the tip of the Noto Peninsula, six people have died, while further south in Nanao five others also lost their lives. Some 33,000 households braved freezing temperatures overnight due to a lack of electricity. Many cities are also without running water. Since Monday, Japan has been hit by at least 155 quakes.

Japan is one of the most seismically active nations on Earth, owing to its location on the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, where many tectonic plates meet.