The death toll from the earthquake in Japan is rising as the country’s authorities confirm that 48 people have died so far, according to the latest tally.

In particular, the death toll in Japan rose to 48, confirmed the Ishikawa disaster headquarters while the number may rise further as rescue efforts continue.

Rescuers are racing against time to find survivors from the collapsed buildings, a difficult task due to the severe damage and blocked roads.

“We must race against time to search and rescue the victims of the disasterPrime Minister Kishida said after a meeting of the disaster management committee.

“Very extensive damage has been confirmed, including many casualties, collapsed buildings and fires,” he said, adding that rescuers were having difficulty reaching the northern tip of the peninsula in the South.

About 33,000 households are without electricity amid freezing temperatures while many cities are also without running water.

The largest earthquake, recorded yesterday shortly after 16:00 (local time; at 09:00 Greek time) in Ishikawa prefecture, had a magnitude of 7.5, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS), 7.6 according with the Japan Meteorological and Seismological Agency (JMA).

The earthquake, which was felt as far as the capital Tokyo, more than 300 kilometers away in a straight line, caused a tsunami along the coast and forced many residents to rush to seek shelter in areas of higher altitude as quickly as possible.

The waves, however, were fortunately not of great height, although the maximum alert was initially declared by the JMA: they were measured to have reached 1.2 m at the port of Uajima, on the South Peninsula, at the northern end of Ishikawa Prefecture.

The tsunami danger level was subsequently lowered and all warnings were finally announced by the JMA to be lifted at 10:00 (03:00 Greek time).

Fires were still raging this morning in Uajima, a small, historic town famous for its lacquered wood handicrafts and artefacts.

The fire department is unable to cope, an official said. It is dealing with “many” fires, and calls for help and reports of damage keep increasing, he added.

Tens of thousands of people were forced to flee their homes yesterday, according to the national disaster management agency cited by the Kyodo news agency.

About 1,000 members of Japan’s military, more than 2,000 firefighters and about 630 police officers are participating in search and rescue operations in the quake-hit areas, according to Prime Minister Kishida.