by Kiyoshi Takenaka and Sakura Murakami
WAJIMA, Japan (Reuters) – Rescuers were still racing against time on Wednesday to search for survivors of the earthquakes that killed at least 65 people in western Japan, operations complicated by rain and very low temperatures .
Earthquakes, the largest of which measured 7.6 on the Richter scale, struck the Noto Peninsula on New Year’s Day, destroying homes and leaving isolated areas without aid.
Heavy rains were forecast in earthquake-hit areas on Wednesday, raising fears of landslides that could further hamper efforts to free the many people still trapped under the rubble.
The government has opened a sea route to deliver aid, and larger trucks are now able to reach the most remote areas, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said at a news conference.
“More than 40 hours have passed since the first earthquake. This is a battle against time, and I think we are at a crucial moment in that battle,” he said.
Cut roads, damaged infrastructure, and the remoteness of the most affected areas have complicated rescue operations. Two days after the earthquake, the extent of the damage and the number of victims is still unclear.
Mayors of the worst-hit towns called on the government to clear roads and deliver aid quickly at a regional disaster emergency meeting held Wednesday morning.
“Even those who narrowly escaped death cannot survive without water and food,” said Masuhiro Izumiya, mayor of Suzu.
Shigeru Sakaguchi, mayor of Wajima town, said he was grateful for the government’s efforts, but had so far received only 2,000 meals for some 10,000 evacuees.
“Some people are very cold because certain areas do not have access to electricity and therefore heating,” he added.
(Reporting by Kiyoshi Takenaka, Chris Gallagher in Wajima and Sakura Murakami in Tokyo; French version Nathan Vifflin, editing by Kate Entringer)
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