Japan Earthquake Rescuers Race Against Time As Death Toll Rises: How Long Can Survivors Live Under Earthquake Rubbles?

A strong earthquake hit Japan on New Year's Day. Rescuers are racing against time to save those who are trapped as the death toll continues to rise.

New Year's Day Earthquake in Japan

A 7.6-magnitude earthquake struck Japan on Monday (Jan. 1, 2024) afternoon, causing damage to roads and buildings and prompting the nation to issue tsunami warnings along its coast. Early on Tuesday morning, the tsunami warnings were subsequently withdrawn.

On New Year's Day, emergency personnel raced to save those buried under debris in Ishikawa prefecture on Honshu's significant central island after buildings collapsed.

Thousands of soldiers, police officers, and firefighters have been sent to the most affected area on the somewhat isolated Noto peninsula.

With 30 people dead following the string of powerful earthquakes, Japan's prime minister, Fumiko Kishida, declared that rescuers were in a "battle against time."

"The search and rescue of those impacted by the quake is a battle against time," he said.

He also mentioned that helicopter scans had found numerous fires and extensive damage to homes and infrastructure and that rescuers were having a tough time getting to the northern tip of the peninsula because of destroyed roads.

At a press conference, Japan's Meteorological Agency stated that more significant earthquakes may occur in the region over the next week, particularly in the following two to three days.

Approximately 60 earthquakes have been detected since the first one.

In the Hakuba Alps of Japan, a snowboarder on vacation reported that his hotel room shook. Although he hadn't heard of any avalanches occurring, Baldwin Chia expressed concern about them. Although earthquakes are frequently reported in Japan, he said, "you wouldn't expect actually to experience one."

When the earthquake struck, British visitor to Japan Andy Clark told the BBC that it was a "scary afternoon and evening" because he was in the seaside city of Toyama. According to him, he "grabbed the sea wall to stay upright" before running for cover on the roof of a school. Mr. Clark claimed that the aftershocks made it "hard to sleep."

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How Long Can People Survive Under Earthquake Rubble?

In 2023, a 7.8-magnitude earthquake hit southeastern Turkey and northwestern Syria. Hundreds were trapped from the rubbles.

According to an expert, people can survive for up to a week or more trapped under falling rubble, depending on several criteria, including whether they have access to water and air, the weather, and the severity of their injuries. However, most rescue operations occur in the first 24 hours following a natural catastrophe.

According to Dr. Stephen Morris, an associate professor in the emergency medicine department at UW Medicine with experience responding to foreign disasters, one of the best ways to aid in your rescue is to discover a means of communicating with the outside world that you are still alive. To draw the attention of emergency rescue personnel, you must shout or make noise. One can tap against the infrastructure to create repeated noise and get the attention of rescuers.

"Getting the message that you're there and you're still alive out is what gets people rescued," Morris said.

Muhammet Korkut, 17, survived being trapped for 94 hours by drinking his urine and eating flowers. Morris said not all liquids can help. For instance, a sofa and coffee can be dehydrating. The expert also added that one can survive without food for weeks, so one should not worry too much about the lack of food.

"The idea that you need food to survive, that's just not the case," he said. "People can survive weeks and weeks, if not months, without eating. It's very unpleasant ... but the majority of people will not die without eating."