Rescuers race against time in search for survivors in Japan after powerful quakes leave 78 dead

SUZU, Japan — Rescuers braved the cold in a race against time as they searched for survivors along Japan’s western coastline Thursday after a powerful earthquake earlier in the week smashed homes and left at least 78 people dead and 51 missing.

A downpour and possible snow were expected, raising the risk of landslides. A list of those officially missing released overnight grew from 15 to 51 people in three cities, including a 13-year-old boy. Some earlier reported missing have been found but more names were coming in, officials said.

Ishikawa prefecture and nearby areas were shaken by more aftershocks, adding to the dozens that followed Monday’s magnitude 7.6 temblor centered near Noto, about 300 kilometers (185 miles) from Tokyo on the opposite coast. The quake set off tsunami warnings, followed by waves measuring more than 1 meter (3 feet) in some places.

The first 72 hours are especially critical for rescues, experts say, because the prospects for survival greatly diminish after that.

“More than 40 hours have passed. This is a race against time, and I feel that we are at a critical moment,” Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Wednesday.

On Thursday, he announced that the number of troops dispatched for rescue operations is increasing from about 1,000 to 4,600.

The narrowness of the Noto Peninsula has added to the challenges in reaching some communities. Water, power and cellphone service were still down in some areas.