This week, Japan was hit by a series of very strong earthquakes that killed at least 62 people. Rescuers worked hard on Wednesday to get as many people out of the rubble as they could, but some people are worried that they won’t be able to reach everyone.
Even two days after the 7.6-magnitude earthquake that started it all, these aftershocks were still happening in Ishikawa and the nearby places.
As rescue workers tried to get everyone to safety and power, water, and internet went out in nearby areas, many people were afraid about their own safety. The government said 62 people died and dozens were hurt, and that doesn’t count the people who haven’t been found yet under the rubble.
A lot of people who lived there talked about how scary it was to see homes fall apart and to have their own homes destroyed by earthquakes. “It’s not just that it’s a mess,” said Miki Kobayashi, who lives in Ishikawa. You can see into the next room now that the wall is down. As she cleaned up after the earthquakes, she said, “I don’t think we can live here anymore.”
Japan has a history of earthquakes and is very ready for them, but that doesn’t change the fact that this is a terrible event. One thousand Japanese troops were sent to the cities that were hit the hardest to help. The government was scared because they didn’t know how many people might be trapped under the rubble, so they sent everyone they could to help the rescue teams.
After the earthquakes, Japan also got alerts about landslides and tsunamis. The worst-hit areas were shown by aerial footage, which showed damage, rubble, roads blocked by landslides, boats parked outside and around, and towns that had been burned down by fires.
Japan is still getting back on its feet after this string of earthquakes, but they are getting ready for tsunamis and other natural disasters and fighting the weather while they clean up their towns.
