The death toll from an earthquake that struck Japan on New Year’s Day rose to 64 on Wednesday (Jan 3) as authorities rushed to bring aid to survivors facing freezing temperatures and heavy rain forecast for later in the day.

The quake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.6 struck the Noto peninsula on Monday afternoon, levelling houses and cutting off remote areas from aid.

Heavy rains were forecast in the quake-hit areas on Wednesday, raising fears of landslides that could further hinder efforts to free many more people trapped under rubble.

Severed roads, damaged infrastructure, and the remote location of the hardest-hit areas have complicated rescue efforts. The full extent of damage and casualties remains unclear two days after the quake.

Authorities have confirmed 64 deaths, up from 55 late on Tuesday, making the earthquake the deadliest in Japan since at least 2016.

Smaller quakes continue to hit the peninsula.

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Firefighters from Osaka and Nara prefectures pressed on despite the rain and aftershocks, searching for a woman trapped in a wooden structure squashed by a seven-floor building which collapsed sideways.

The rescuers were removing rubble to try to reach the woman, who was not showing any vital signs, a firefighter said.

The government opened a sea route to deliver aid and some larger trucks are now able to reach some of the more remote areas, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told a press conference following a national disaster response meeting.

“It’s been over 40 hours since the initial quake. This is a battle against time, and I believe now is a crucial moment in that battle,” he said.

More than 33,000 people have evacuated their homes ,and some areas have no access to water or electricity and have spotty signal, according to Ishikawa prefecture.

The mayors of the hardest-hit cities demanded the government clear roads and deliver aid swiftly at a regional emergency disaster meeting held on Wednesday morning.

“Even those who narrowly escaped death can’t survive without food and water,” said Masuhiro Izumiya, the mayor of Suzu, a town of about 13,000 near the quake’s epicentre. “We haven’t received a single loaf of bread.”

Shigeru Sakaguchi, mayor of hard-hit Wajima city, said he was grateful for the government’s efforts but had received only 2,000 meals for some 10,000 evacuees so far.

“Some people are very cold because there are areas that have no access to electricity and therefore heating,” he said.

Many roads were severed and several areas outside the city centre could only be reached by helicopter, he added. REUTERS