Local authorities announced Tuesday that the death toll from a massive earthquake in central Japan has risen to 30, with 14 people badly injured.
According to the Ishikawa prefectural government, half of the deaths occurred in the city of Wajima, where a massive fire ripped through residences.
The 7.5-magnitude quake, which struck Ishikawa prefecture on Honshu's main island, unleashed tsunami waves more than a meter high, collapsed buildings, started a large fire, and ripped roads apart.
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The severity of the destruction on the Noto Peninsula became clear as daylight broke, with buildings still on fire, dwellings crushed, fishing boats sunk or washed ashore, and highways damaged by landslides.
"It was such a powerful jolt," Tsugumasa Mihara, 73, told AFP as he stood in a queue with hundreds of others for water in Shika.
"What a terrible way to start the year," he said.
The death toll was set at 30, with half of those in Wajima, although the figure was anticipated to grow.
"Very extensive damage has been confirmed, including numerous casualties, building collapses and fires," Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said after a disaster response meeting.
Aerial broadcast footage revealed the horrifying extent of a fire that surged through Wajima, destroying a seven-story commercial building.
According to the local energy supplier, about 33,000 families were without power in the region, which saw temperatures drop below freezing overnight. Many cities lacked flowing water.
The quake had a magnitude of 7.5, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS). It was measured at 7.6 by Japan's meteorological service and was one of more than 150 that shook the region into Tuesday morning.
Several severe jolts were detected early Tuesday, with one measuring 5.6 and prompting NHK, Japan's national broadcaster, to turn to a special programming.
