A 7.5 magnitude earthquake that struck Japan on New Year has killed at least 48 people and caused widespread destruction.

The earthquake rattled Ishikawa prefecture on the main island of Honshu, triggering tsunami waves more than a meter high, causing a major fire, and tore apart roads.



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According to AFP, the destruction on the Noto Peninsula included buildings damaged by fire, houses flattened, fishing boats sinking or washed ashore, and highways hit by landslides.

"I'm amazed the house is this broken and everyone in my family managed to come out of it unscathed," Akiko told AFP standing outside her parents' tilting home in the badly hit city of Wajima.

Local authorities put the death toll at 48, but the number was expected to rise as rescuers comb through the rubble.

"Very extensive damage has been confirmed, including numerous casualties, building collapses and fires," Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said after a disaster response meeting.

"We have to race against time to search for and rescue victims of the disaster."

Aerial news footage showed the terrifying scale of a fire that ripped through the old market area of Wajima, where a seven-story commercial building also collapsed. Quake damage impaired rescue efforts to put out the blaze.

The local energy provider said that almost 33,000 households were without power in the region, which saw temperatures touch freezing overnight. Many cities were without running water.

The US Geological Survey said the quake had a magnitude of 7.5. Japan's meteorological agency measured it at 7.6 and said it was one of more than 210 to shake the region through Tuesday evening.

Several strong jolts were felt early Tuesday, including one measuring 5.6 that prompted national broadcaster NHK to switch to a special programme.