In Pictures

Photos: Aftermath of devastating earthquake in Japan

Local authorities put the death toll at 48, but the number is expected to rise as rescuers comb through the rubble.

This aerial photo shows damaged and destroyed homes along a street in Wajima, Ishikawa prefecture. — This aerial photo shows damaged and destroyed homes along a street in Wajima, Ishikawa prefecture, a day after a huge earthquake struck the prefecture's Noto region. [Fred Mery/ AFP]

Japanese rescuers battled the clock and powerful aftershocks on Tuesday as they searched for survivors of a New Year’s Day earthquake that killed dozens and caused widespread destruction.

The magnitude 7.5 earthquake that rattled Ishikawa prefecture on the main island of Honshu triggered tsunami waves more than a metre high, caused a major fire and tore apart roads.

On the Noto peninsula, the destruction included buildings damaged by fire, houses flattened, fishing boats sunk or washed ashore, and highways hit by landslides.

“I’m amazed the house is this broken and everyone in my family managed to come out of it unscathed,” said Akiko, standing outside her parents’ tilting home in the badly hit city of Wajima.

The way 2024 started “will be etched into my memory forever,” she said following the “long and violent” earthquake.

“It was such a powerful jolt,” Tsugumasa Mihara, 73, said as he queued with hundreds of others for water in the nearby town of Shika.

Local authorities have put the death toll at 48, but the number is expected to rise as rescuers comb the rubble.

“Very extensive damage has been confirmed, including numerous casualties, building collapses and fires,” Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said, after a disaster response meeting.

“We have to race against time to search for and rescue victims of the disaster.”

Residents shelter inside a plastic greenhouse after being evacuated in the city of Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture. — Almost 33,000 households were without power in the region, which saw temperatures touch freezing overnight, the local energy provider said. Many cities were without running water. [JIJI Press/ AFP]

Agricultural machinery and other equipment are seen trapped under a collapsed wooden house in Wajima, Ishikawa prefecture. — The US Geological Survey said the quake had a magnitude of 7.5. Japan's meteorological agency measured it at 7.6, and said it was one of more than 210 to shake the region through Tuesday evening. [Kazuhiro Nogi/AFP]

Firefighters inspect collapsed wooden houses in Wajima, Ishikawa prefecture. — Houses collapsed and huge cracks appeared in roads, while others were hit by landslides. Forecasters warned that rains could further loosen soil on hillsides. [Kazuhiro Nogi/AFP]

This aerial photo provided by Jiji Press shows capsized boats and others left onshore at the fishing port in the city of Suzu, Ishikawa prefecture. — Japan experiences hundreds of earthquakes every year, but the vast majority cause no damage. [JIJI Press/AFP]

This aerial photo provided by Jiji Press shows a rescue vehicle (C) parked next to a seven-storey building which fell over in Wajima, Ishikawa prefecture. — The number of earthquakes in the Noto peninsula region has been steadily increasing since 2018, a Japanese government report said last year. [JIJI Press/AFP]

People walk past a badly damaged house in the city of Nanao, Ishikawa Prefecture. — The country is haunted by a massive magnitude 9.0 undersea quake off northeastern Japan in 2011 which triggered a tsunami that left about 18,500 people dead or missing. [JIJI Press/AFP]

People queue around the Shika Town hall as they wait to receive water at a distribution point in Shika, Ishikawa prefecture. — People queue around the Shika Town Hall as they wait to receive water at a distribution point in Shika, Ishikawa prefecture. [Kazuhiro Nogi/AFP]

This aerial photo provided by Jiji Press shows smoke rising from an area following a large fire in Wajima, Ishikawa prefecture. — The fire in Wajima engulfed as many as 200 structures, reports said, with people evacuated in darkness, some with blankets and others carrying babies. [JIJI Press/AFP]