Scenes of loss play out across Japan after earthquake kills 81

Suzu: His face hidden under a humble straw hat, the man stood silent, watching several helmeted rescue workers carefully lift his wife’s body from the rubble, wrapped in blue plastic on a stretcher.

He wiped his weary face with a rag. His eyes were red.

This scene in the city of Suzu was tragically repeated across Ishikawa Prefecture and nearby regions on the western coastline of Japan after Monday’s 7.6 magnitude temblor that decimated houses, twisted and scarred roads and scattered boats like toys in the waters, and prompted tsunami warnings. The death toll stood at 81 people as of Thursday.

Ishikawa officials said 47 of those who died were in the city of Wajima and 23 were in Suzu. The 11 others were reported in five neighbouring towns. More than 330 people have been injured, at least 25 seriously.

Those reported missing ballooned from 15 to 79 overnight, including a 13-year-old boy. Officials initially said 80 were missing but corrected the number later. What exacerbated matters was people visiting to ring in the new year with their loved ones when the quake hit.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida reinforced rescue operations with about 3,600 soldiers in addition to the initial 1,000. Their mission is to provide those affected with fresh water and hot meals, as well as set up bathing facilities for the 34,000 who lost their homes and are now staying at evacuation facilities. Although Japan is reputed for relatively reliable disaster relief, essential supplies such as water, food and blankets have been running short.

“All we got was a couple of rice balls,” said elderly Yasuo Kobatake cupping his hand in a tiny ball to show how small the meal was. He has been staying with his wife at an elementary school, an impromptu evacuation centre. He was only given a tiny paper cup, half-filled with water that “vanished in a sip.”