Tokyo (Web Desk): The death toll in 7.6-magnitude earthquake in Japan rose to 48 with 50 others were injured.
According to international media reports, Ishikawa Prefecture suffered huge losses and damage as it was the closest to epicenter of the earthquake.
Over 100 residential buildings have been collapsed while 200 houses were engulfed by fire.
A 7.6-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of central Japan on Monday, prompting fears of widespread damage in Japan, but the country's tsunami warning has been lifted.
It may be recalled that after the March 2011 earthquake, this earthquake was the first when major tsunami warning was issued in the country.
Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida warned that damage could be "massive" and aid teams were struggling to reach some remote areas, fearing the death toll could rise.
The Japanese prime minister added that extensive damage was confirmed from the earthquake, with buildings collapsing and fires starting. Search and rescue of earthquake victims is a race against time.
PM Kishida added that rescuers were finding it very difficult to access the northern tip of the Noto Peninsula, where helicopter surveys reported fires in many buildings and extensive damage to infrastructure.
His government spokesman later said that about 120 people were awaiting rescue. Authorities say damaged roads are hampering rescue efforts and making it difficult to assess the full extent of the devastation.
In Suzhou, a coastal town of 5,000 households near the epicenter, about 1,000 homes could be destroyed, according to its mayor, Masuhiro Izumiya.
Japan's Meteorological Agency said the country had so far recorded 155 earthquakes since the initial quake on Monday. However, the initial tsunami warning, which was later downgraded, has been lifted entirely.
