Under 10,000 Now Staying in Ishikawa Prefecture Shelters, But Many Believed to Be Living in Cars, Damaged Homes

The Yomiuri Shimbun

14:57 JST, January 30, 2024

The number of evacuees staying in temporary shelters has dropped below 10,000 for the first time since the Noto Peninsula Earthquake, the Ishikawa prefectural government has announced.

This is down significantly from the peak of 34,173 as of Jan. 4, but many people are thought to be staying in damaged homes or in cars. The prefectural government is therefore keeping track of evacuees, as part of efforts to help residents affected by the quake.

As of 2 p.m. Monday, 9,939 people were staying at temporary shelters in affected cities and towns, according to the prefectural government.

Prefectural authorities set up a list to keep track of residents who have left temporary shelters. Among the 6,884 people on the list as of Sunday, 95 were living in cars and 2,651 were sheltering in their own homes, which may have been damaged.

People are believed to be staying in these places for such reasons as wanting to stay near their pets or worrying about their valuables. The prefectural government therefore seeks to swiftly implement measures to assist such people.

The total death toll in Ishikawa Prefecture rose to 238, the prefectural government announced Monday, as two more people were confirmed to have died in Suzu.

Power outages in four municipalities in the Oku-Noto area, and in Nanao and Shika, are expected to be mostly resolved by the end of this month, the prefecture said.

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