A woman in her 90s who was rescued on Saturday survived for five days after the devastating 7.5 magnitude earthquake that shook central Japan on January 1, the BBC reported.
An elderly woman was rescued on Saturday in a small Japanese town that was particularly hard hit by the earthquake, according to reports. BBC. Rescuers searched the ruins of a collapsed two-story building and found an elderly woman, reports said. Despite her ordeal, she was conscious but suffering from hypothermia, the newspaper reported. Tragically, another victim in the same surgery, a woman in her 40s, was found to be in a critical condition of cardiopulmonary arrest, according to the same report.
The earthquake left a trail of destruction, with more than 120 people confirmed dead and 200 still missing, the BBC reported. A professional rescue team of 100 people was dispatched to the small town after reports that two women were trapped alive under the rubble, local media reported. (Related: Fact check: Viral X video has no connection to recent tsunami or Japan earthquake)
An elderly woman survived for more than five days after a magnitude 7.6 earthquake hit the area on Monday. Here's what we know: https://t.co/eZHVoFxOfO
— NBC 6 South Florida (@nbc6) January 7, 2024
usually, the first 72 hours after a disaster are considered critical for successful rescue operations. However, the discovery of the two women well beyond this deadline brought both hope and sadness to a nation still grappling with the aftermath of the earthquake, the BBC noted.
Japan's Self-Defense Forces are heavily involved in rescue and relief operations, using helicopters to reach isolated areas and deliver essential supplies, the newspaper reported. The newspaper said the project also faced challenges, with weak infrastructure in the region and many roads still blocked.
More than 30,000 people were evacuated due to the disaster and are currently sheltering in government facilities. According to the BBC, thousands of people remained without electricity or water as of Saturday, underscoring the seriousness of the situation.
