A month on, death toll climbs to 238 in Japan earthquake, 19 missing

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) – Thousands of people still remain displaced as the death toll climbed to 238, a month after a 7.6 earthquake hit Japan last month.

While the government is working to build temporary spaces for earthquake-hit people, the officials have acknowledged that shifting people to safer places has not gone smoothly.

According to the latest figures, more than 14,000 people are still displaced since the New Year's Day earthquake that hit the Noto Peninsula in central Japan, Tokyo-based Kyodo News reported.

About 19 people are still missing.

People have been adjusted in temporary evacuation centers, including gymnastics halls, inns and hotels.

Many areas are without running water supplies.

People in hard-hit Ishikawa province are also facing complications in a stable supply of food and other necessities while many businesses are struggling to resume work as their personnel are among the victims of the earthquake.

Roads and other communication lines are still broken which has added to the suffering of people, especially the elderly who also suffer from diseases.

The government of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is planning to grant $41,000 to elderly households to restart their lives as some 46,000 houses were damaged due to the earthquakes.

The government has also reached out to volunteers to clear debris from roads and broken infrastructure.

The fishing community in coastal Ishikawa province has been hit hard as 18 fishing ports have been left completely unusable as seabed upheaval due to the earthquake affecting 60 out of 69 fishing ports in the region.

Japan has been hit by hundreds of tremors since Jan. 1.