In a remarkable act of survival, a woman in her 90s was extricated from the debris of her collapsed home in Suzu City, Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan.
The rescue, occurring 124 hours after a devastating 7.6 magnitude earthquake, defied the widely accepted 72-hour survival window for earthquake victims.
The unidentified woman was retrieved late on Saturday, January 6, 2024, more than five days after the quake that caused significant turmoil in the region.
She was immediately transported to a hospital where, according to medical personnel, she has been able to converse despite leg injuries.
The rescue operation was painstaking, with her knees pinned beneath furniture in a compressed space, requiring hours of careful maneuvering by the emergency team.
The temblor, which struck on New Year’s Day, has resulted in at least 126 fatalities. Among the deceased is a 5-year-old boy who initially survived the quake but later died from injuries caused by boiling water that spilled on him during the event.
The Noto Peninsula, which includes Suzu and the city of Wajima, bore the brunt of the quake, with Wajima experiencing the highest death toll at 69.
More than 500 individuals have been reported injured, and upwards of 200 remain unaccounted for. The ongoing aftershocks have exacerbated the danger, threatening to trigger additional landslides and further destabilize already damaged infrastructure. With rain and snow forecast, the concern for complete road collapses is mounting, complicating relief efforts.
Japan’s response to the disaster has been extensive, with the Self-Defense Forces dispatching thousands of troops to assist the more than 30,000 evacuees now in shelters.
These forces have been tasked with delivering water, food, and medicine to those affected. Despite these efforts, numerous communities, particularly those also impacted by a tsunami, like the coastal community of Shiromaru, are still awaiting assistance.
The crisis has garnered international attention, with countries sending condolences and offers of aid. Notably, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un extended a rare message of condolence to Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
Yoshimasa Hayashi, a Japanese government spokesperson, expressed gratitude for the international support, underscoring the unusual nature of North Korea’s outreach, a gesture not seen since 1995.