STORY: Death toll climbs after Japan quake, self-defense forces dispatched
SHOOTING TIME: Jan. 1-2, 2024
DATELINE: Jan. 2, 2024
LENGTH: 00:00:00
LOCATION: Tokyo
CATEGORY: OTHERS

SHOTLIST:
1. STANDUP (English): ZHANG XIAOYU, Xinhua correspondent
2. various of scenes of the earthquake

STORYLINE:

STANDUP (English): ZHANG XIAOYU, Xinhua correspondent
"The death toll has been climbing after a series of powerful earthquakes hit the area in central Japan and the vicinity.

A series of building collapses and fires left dozens of people dead in the most-hit Ishikawa prefecture.

As more damage reports and information about people trapped continued to come in regarding other municipalities, injuries were reported in Niigata, Toyama, Fukui and Gifu prefectures due to collapsed or damaged buildings.

Calling the rescue of those impacted by the earthquakes a battle against time, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said that the government has already dispatched a number of self-defense force troops to the impacted areas and will continue to provide assistance.

A series of strong earthquakes, with major ones of up to a preliminary 7.6 magnitude, hit on Monday at a shallow depth on the Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa prefecture. The Japan Meteorological Agency has officially named it the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Tokyo.
(XHTV)