Japanese authorities announced that the death toll increased to 168 and the number of injured increased to 565, 8 days after the 7.6-magnitude earthquake that occurred in Ishikawa province and was also felt strongly in Toyama, Niigata, Fukui, and Gifu provinces. The search for 323 people who have not been heard from continues.
The snowfall in some affected areas, which is also disrupting search efforts, might collapse heavily damaged houses, authorities warned. Experts also warn that earthquakes of magnitude 5 or more may hit the region during the next month.