In a remarkable display of resilience, a nonagenarian woman was rescued from the wreckage of her home in Japan on Saturday, a full 124 hours after a devastating earthquake rocked the region.
The woman, whose identity remains undisclosed, survived for over five days beneath the debris, defying the odds as survival rates typically plummet after 72 hours.
The rescue operation in Suzu, the woman's hometown, involved a hundred workers donned in helmets. They shielded the scene with a blue tarpaulin to ensure privacy during the late-night rescue mission. The woman was found suffering from hypothermia and was promptly given intravenous fluids and oxygen, as reported by Japanese news outlet Yomiuri.
Another woman, presumed to be in her 40s, was discovered at the same location, unfortunately in a state of cardiopulmonary arrest.
Suzu is situated in Ishikawa Prefecture, the area most severely impacted by the 7.6 magnitude earthquake. The disaster claimed 126 lives, including a five-year-old boy who succumbed to burns from boiling water in a hospital. The city of Wajima bore the brunt of the fatalities, with 69 deaths, followed by Suzu with 38. Over 200 individuals remain missing, and more than 500 have been injured.
Since the earthquake struck on Monday, numerous rescue missions have been initiated. Shrio Kokuda, a 76-year-old Wajima resident, recounted witnessing a temple being engulfed in flames during the catastrophe. He continues his search for friends at various evacuation centers, stating, "It's been really tough."
In response to the disaster, thousands of troops have airlifted supplies and transported water, food, and medicine to over 30,000 individuals seeking refuge in auditoriums, schools, and other evacuation centers.
The region is grappling with over 100 landslides, some of which have obstructed major roads, leaving communities in dire need of aid isolated. Wajima's Takimata area is among those affected. Other roads are fractured and on the brink of collapse, a threat exacerbated by the forecast of rain and snow over the weekend.
Wajima's emergency supplies were depleted on the day of the earthquake. In an unusual gesture, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un extended his condolences, along with the US and other allies. Yoshimasa Hayashi, a spokesperson for the Japanese government, expressed gratitude for the international support, noting that the last condolence message from North Korea was received in 1995.
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