JAPAN authorities sharply revised downwards today the number of people missing following a major January 1 quake, while announcing a new death toll of 180.

The 7.5-magnitude quake flattened buildings, caused fires and knocked out infrastructure on the Noto Peninsula on Japan’s main island Honshu just as families were celebrating New Year’s Day.

Thousands of rescuers were today battling blocked roads and poor weather to clear the wreckage and reach almost 3,500 people still stuck in isolated communities.

Figures released by Ishikawa regional authorities today showed 120 people missing while 180 were confirmed dead, up from 168 yesterday.

Yesterday, authorities had more than tripled the number of missing to 323 after central databases were updated, with most of the rise related to badly-hit Wajima.

But since then, “many families let us know they were able to confirm the safety of the people (on the list)”, Ishikawa official Hayato Yachi said.

With heavy snow in places complicating relief efforts, as of yesterday, almost 30,000 people were living in some 400 government shelters, some of which were packed and struggling to provide adequate food, water and heating.

Almost 60,000 households were without running water and 15,600 had no electricity.

Road conditions have been worsened by days of rain that have contributed to an estimated 1,000 landslides.

At a daily disaster-relief government meeting today, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida instructed ministers to “make efforts to resolve the state of isolation (of communities) and continue tenacious rescue activities”.

Kishida also urged secondary evacuations to other regions outside the quake-hit area, top government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters. – AFP, January 9, 2024.