Japan earthquake: Hundreds killed, 78 dead – latest updates and rescue efforts

“It is a very difficult situation. But from the standpoint of protecting life, I request that you make every possible effort to rescue and save as many lives as possible by this evening, when the critical 72 hours have passed since the disaster,” Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said in a government statement. Said in the meeting on Thursday.

They were to speak again at noon, 72 hours after the main earthquake struck – a deadline when hopes of finding survivors typically fade.

Japan experiences hundreds of earthquakes each year and most cause no damage, with strict building codes in place for more than four decades.

Earthquakes have occurred with increasing intensity and frequency in the Noto region over the past five years.

The country is reeling from a massive 9.0 magnitude undersea earthquake in 2011, which triggered a tsunami and left about 18,500 people dead or missing.

It also destroyed the Fukushima nuclear plant, causing one of the worst nuclear disasters in history.

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