Japan racing to find survivors after 'catastrophic' earthquake; at least 62 dead

Aftershocks rattled Japan on Tuesday after at least 62 people were killed in a powerful earthquake on the western coast that flattened buildings and triggered tsunami warnings.

On Monday afternoon, a 7.6 temblor rocked Ishikawa, a prefecture of Japan about 180 miles west of Tokyo, where all the deaths so far have been reported. The deaths were mostly in the cities of Wajima and Suzu. At least 17 people were severely injured, said Yoshimasa Hayashi, a spokesperson for the Japan government. Officials said there could be more earthquakes in the near future.

Five crew members aboard a Japanese Coast Guard aircraft were killed Tuesday in a collision with an airliner at Haneda Airport in Tokyo. Officials said the Coast Guard aircraft was set to deliver aid for earthquake victims.

More than 200 tremors had been recorded since Monday afternoon as rescue crews desperately searched the rubble for survivors, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. Water and cell phone service are down in some areas.

City mayor says damage is 'catastrophic'

Tens of thousands of homes were reduced to rubble in the initial quake. In Wajima, many homes were destroyed in fires that broke out overnight. Utility and cellphone services were still down in some areas Tuesday. Dozens of injured people were being treated in area hospitals.

"It’s not just that it’s a mess. The wall has collapsed, and you can see through to the next room. I don’t think we can live here anymore,” Miki Kobayashi, an Ishikawa resident, told The Associated Press.

Yoshimasa Hayashi, Japan's foreign minister, said Tuesday in a news conference that 57,360 people were huddled in evacuation centers after fleeing from their homes. He added that thousands of households across four prefectures were still without water.

Masuhiro Izumiya, the mayor of Suzu, a coastal city of about 13,500 people in Ishikawa, near the quake's epicenter, said the damage there is "catastrophic." About 90% of the area's homes have been "completely or almost destroyed," he said at a disaster response meeting Tuesday.

On Monday, officials issued a major tsunami warning – the first since a major quake hit the country in March 2011 and killed more than 18,000 people.

The warnings were all downgraded hours later, though authorities cautioned residents that aftershocks could cause more damage. Waves reached heights of 3 feet in some areas along Japan's central west coast.

'A battle against time' in search for survivors

More than 1,000 soldiers have been deployed by the Japanese military to the disaster zones, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Tuesday.

“Saving lives is our priority, and we are fighting a battle against time,” he said. “It is critical that people trapped in homes get rescued immediately.”

In a statement Monday, President Joe Biden said his administration has been "in touch with Japanese officials, and the United States stands ready to provide any necessary assistance for the Japanese people."

"Jill and I are praying for the people of Japan who have been impacted by the terrible earthquake," Biden said. "As close Allies, the United States and Japan share a deep bond of friendship that unites our people. Our thoughts are with the Japanese people during this difficult time."

At least five dead after airliner collides with coast guard plane

A Japan Airlines flight collided Tuesday with a Japanese Coast Guard plane that was going to deliver relief aid.

The airliner's 379 passengers were believed to have escaped the plane before it became engulfed in flames. Five crew members aboard the Japanese coast guard plane were dead at the scene.

Swede Anton Deibe, 17, a passenger on the airliner, told the Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet that “the entire cabin was filled with smoke within a few minutes. We threw ourselves down on the floor. Then the emergency doors were opened and we threw ourselves at them."

How are Japan's buildings prepared for earthquakes?

Japan, which rests along the tectonic belt in the Pacific Basin known as the Ring of Fire, is prone to earthquakes. The country has long been a leader in disaster preparedness and uses advanced warning systems, practiced response services and strict building codes.

Japan was the first country to institute a building code that requires contractors to consider seismic force, according to the Building Center of Japan. The code took effect in 1924.

In 1950, Japan enacted the Building Standard Law to further protect residents from building collapses and damage from extreme events such as typhoons and earthquakes. The law has been amended through the decades as technology has improved and often after a natural disaster, such as the 2011 earthquake, which prompted the construction of sea walls along the country's northeast coastline that reach heights of 41 feet.

The law, which requires regular inspections of a building's structural integrity, applies to buildings with two or more stories and those with more than 650 square feet of floor space. But the standards are different in regions throughout the country depending on the area’s history and conditions.

Newer buildings, especially skyscrapers near the coast, undergo rigorous planning evaluations and must meet strict standards. Many of the country’s older buildings have been made more resilient with shock absorbers and steel reinforcements.

Emergency drills, which are common in Japan, also prepare the country’s citizens and first responders for natural disasters.

“There is probably no people on Earth other than Japanese who are so disaster-ready,” said Toshitaka Katada, a University of Tokyo professor specializing in disasters.

Contributing: The Associated Press