Measures to prevent ‘disaster-related deaths’, where people die from diseases, etc., are key
As the magnitude 7.6 Noto Peninsula earthquake occurred in Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan on the 8th, marking a week since its occurrence, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported that the evacuation period is likely to be prolonged due to delays in the restoration of living infrastructure.
According to Ishikawa Prefecture, as of the 7th, the number of deaths in the prefecture reached 128 and the number of missing people reached 195. The number of deaths includes 69 in Wajima City and 38 in Suzu City, and this is the first time that the number of victims exceeds 100 since the 2016 Kumamoto Earthquake, in which 276 people died, including ‘disaster-related deaths’.
Nihon Keizai reported that in Wajima City, many reports were received that people were trapped in collapsed houses, and there are concerns that the damage will increase further. Land routes have been cut off due to landslides, etc., making it difficult to determine the overall extent of damage.
On the 7th, the Ministry of Defense increased the number of Self-Defense Forces operating in the disaster area from 5,400 to 5,900, but it is known that some areas where land routes have been cut off due to cave-in or damage to roads are difficult to access, so relief and recovery are being delayed.
As of the 7th, about 28,000 people are evacuating in about 400 shelters, and at least 2,318 people are in isolation in Wajima City and Suzu City, which are suffering extensive damage. Nihon Keizai pointed out that the key point is how to prevent ‘disaster-related deaths’, which result in prolonged evacuation times and deaths from diseases and other causes.
It’s been a week since the earthquake, but infrastructure restoration has not progressed. In Ishikawa, about 20,000 households are without power and more than 66,000 households are without water. Noto Airport in Wajima City, whose runway was damaged, is scheduled to be closed until the 24th.
There are not enough support supplies, and there are concerns about secondary damage due to the extremely cold weather. Based on reflection on the fact that supplies were not delivered due to the Great East Japan Earthquake, the Japanese government is rushing to provide ‘push-type’ support, which provides preemptive support first without waiting for requests from local governments.
In this regard, the Japanese government continues to prioritize saving lives and is doing its best to restore lifelines (core facilities necessary for urban life such as electricity, gas, water, communication, and transportation) and resolve isolated areas, while also preventing prolonged evacuation. NHK reported that they also looked ahead and decided to focus their efforts on responding to cold and snow.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida emphasized on the 7th that saving lives will be the top priority, saying, “I ask you to continue working hard to rescue those who are still waiting for help under the rubble.”
Prime Minister Kishida also said, “Water shortage in particular is a very serious problem,” and the government decided to focus on restoring lifelines, including resolving large-scale water outages and power outages, along with saving lives.
In addition, NHK reported that while access by land is restricted, efforts will be made to transport goods through maritime transportation and support isolated areas on foot or by helicopter.
In addition, as the impact of heavy snow is expected to spread in the affected areas in the future, a prolonged evacuation is expected and it has been decided to deploy snowplows, secure supplies such as blankets and fuel to cope with the cold, and prepare for the construction of temporary housing.
The Japanese government also decided to open the Emergency Disaster Response Headquarters on the 8th to discuss specific responses and to hasten the investigation of the damage situation to designate it as an extreme disaster.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.