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Search for survivors stepped up on Japan’s Hokkaido island after quake that killed dozens
Power restored to most of prefecture after being cut for two days, while rescuers deal with thousands of homes without water and thick mud on Sapporo’s streets
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Time was running out on Saturday for survivors of a magnitude 6.7 earthquake that rocked Japan’s Hokkaido island, triggering landslides that tore deep brown scars in hillsides. Meanwhile, public broadcaster NHK said 35 people were dead in one town, with around five still missing.
About 40,000 personnel including members of the Self-Defence Forces, police and firefighters intensified operations as the first 72 hours after a quake are considered crucial for finding survivors.
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“They’re doing their best around the clock,” said top government spokesman Yoshihide Suga, adding that rescuers were using bulldozers, sniffer dogs and 75 helicopters.
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Most of the dead – and nearly 400 injured – were residents of the town of Atsuma, where massive landslides buried a number of homes when the quake struck at about 3am on Thursday.
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