DIGIVESTASI - The death toll from Tuesday's (February 1) Japanese earthquake in Ishikawa Prefecture has risen to 48. 
So far rescuers are still searching for the dead and injured in remote areas, where the earthquake caused buildings to collapse, major roads were damaged, and tens of thousands of people died.

Reported by Reuters, authorities confirmed 48 deaths in Ishikawa Prefecture. Several people died in Wajima, a town on the northern tip of the Noto peninsula. 

"I have never experienced an earthquake this strong," said Shoichi Kobayashi, a resident of Wajima. He said he was at home celebrating the new year with his wife and children when the quake struck.

"Even the aftershocks made us unable to stand up," he said. 

About 200 aftershocks were detected after the first 7.5-magnitude earthquake shook Japan on Monday (January 1). The Japan Meteorological Agency warned that stronger quakes could occur in the coming days.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said the current rescue of earthquake victims is a fight against time.

"Searching for and rescuing people affected by the earthquake is a fight against time," Kishida said. 

He said rescue teams were having difficulty reaching the northern tip of the Noto peninsula, where helicopters recorded many fires and significant damage to buildings and infrastructure. 

To date, many rail and air services to the region have been suspended. Meanwhile, more than 500 people are still trapped at Noto airport, which is closed due to cracked runways and access roads.