A 90-year-old woman has been pulled alive from the rubble of the earthquake that killed at least 126 people in central Japan on January 1, with search and rescue operations made more difficult today by snowfall.

The 7.5-magnitude earthquake, which was felt as far as the capital Tokyo, more than 300 kilometers away as the crow flies, hit the Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture, a narrow strip of land stretching a hundred kilometers into the Sea of ​​Japan. It caused the collapse of dozens of buildings and destroyed many roads.

In addition to the 126 dead, authorities also said today that 560 people were injured and another 222 people were still missing, mainly in the cities of Uajima and Shushu.

Yesterday, a 90-year-old woman was pulled alive from the rubble of a house that collapsed in Sousse, at the tip of the peninsula, five days after the disaster.

She was conscious, able to answer questions clearly during the rescue operation, and passed away after being taken to a hospital, Japanese public broadcaster NHK reported.

“Stay strong!” rescue workers were shouting at her in the rain, she recorded in police video broadcast by Japanese media. “Everything will be fine”, “stay positive”, they said.

A police spokesman in Tokyo confirmed to AFP that the rescue was carried out by members of the capital and Fukuoka (southwest) police departments, without giving details.

The earthquake, which was followed by hundreds of aftershocks, caused some 1,000 landslides and widespread fires, especially in Oujima, where authorities fear many people are still trapped in the rubble.

It also caused a tsunami, but – fortunately – the waves did not exceed one meter by much.

Rescue crews are continuing their efforts to find survivors and people stranded in areas where roads have been cut off, as well as to distribute food and equipment to those left homeless.

Some 30,000 citizens were yesterday in 366 reception areas opened by the authorities, according to the local government in Ishikawa.

Forecast for heavy snowfall

But weather conditions are expected to worsen in the region from today, with further rain and heavy snowfall in places, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency, which warned against the risk of hypothermia.

There is also a risk of more landslides due to the rains today, while frost will complicate traffic on roads, many of which have already been damaged by the earthquake.

Because of the poor condition of the road network, the Japanese military has deployed small teams on foot to each of the blockaded communities, as well as helicopters, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told NHK today.

“Along with these efforts, it is necessary to improve the housing conditions and health care of those affected by the disaster,” as this situation may be prolonged, Mr. Kisida concluded, adding that “long-term” initiatives will be needed to rebuild the earthquake affected areas.

About 20,000 households were still without power in Ishikawa Prefecture earlier this morning.

The New Year’s earthquake is the first to kill more than 100 people in the archipelago since one in Kumamoto (southwest) in 2016, when 276 lives were lost and widespread damage was caused.

Japan, on the so-called ring of fire of the Pacific Ocean, is among the countries where many of the strongest earthquakes are recorded around the globe.

The country remains haunted by the terrible 9-magnitude earthquake and giant tsunami of March 2011 off the country’s northeastern coast, a disaster that left behind some 20,000 dead and missing.

That earthquake and subsequent tsunami caused the Fukushima nuclear disaster, the worst in world history since Chernobyl in 1986.