The death toll in the disaster rose to 180, officials said, including 81 in the city of Wajima, where the quake sparked a large-scale blaze that tore through the market popular with visitors, Japan Times reported.
Snow, rain, and plunging temperatures have complicated the relief effort in Ishikawa, increasing the risk of landslides and endangering communities isolated by roads damaged in the quake.
Following the magnitude 7.6 quake on Jan. 1, more than 1,200 aftershocks — including a handful that registered as strong as 5 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale of 7 — have continued to hit the region, and more are expected.
The Meteorological Agency has warned of the possibility of quakes with a maximum seismic intensity of a strong 5 or higher striking the area over the next month.
AMK/PR
