Rescuers found the woman in Suzu City, Ishikawa Prefecture, on Saturday night — 124 hours after the quake struck — and took her to a nearby hospital, according to Japanese public broadcaster NHK. A doctor told reporters on Sunday that she was well enough to talk but had injured her leg.
Police officers use a blue sheet to ensure privacy as an elderly woman is rescued from a collapsed house in Suzu. Photo: AP
Kume Takanori, a member of the emergency rescue team, told NHK that the woman's knees were trapped under furniture in a very narrow space between the first and second floors. Takanori said it took hours to free her.
A magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck off the west coast of Japan on January 1, triggering tsunami warnings as far east as Russia. Thousands of people living in coastal areas were forced to evacuate their homes as buildings and roads collapsed.
The death toll from the disaster is at least 126, according to the latest figures shared by Japanese authorities on Saturday.
In the event of a disaster, the first 72 hours are “critical” for search and rescue efforts. Experts call this the “golden period” for finding survivors because the condition of trapped and injured people can deteriorate rapidly afterward.
It's a race against time for teams on the ground to rescue people trapped under the rubble.
Japanese officials say the full extent of the damage is still unknown, but more than 200 people are still missing. Search and rescue operations are continuing in Ishikawa.
NHK reported that many roads remained blocked, making it difficult for rescue workers and vehicles to reach survivors.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on social media X that traffic restrictions will be imposed around the earthquake zone from Sunday.
Vehicles will be banned from entering affected areas to allow disaster relief forces to pass through.
Mai Anh (according to CNN)
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