A woman in her 90s has been found alive under rubble five days after the terrible earthquake struck central Japan.
Rescue workers discovered her in the wreckage of a two-storey building in the town of Suzu.
According to the newspaper Yomiuri Shimbun, 100 rescuers were sent to the town of Suzu after learning that two women were buried alive.
Citing local police sources, the newspaper reported that the elderly woman was responsive, but believed to be suffering from hypothermia.
The first 72 hours of a rescue operation are considered critical because after that, the chances of finding people alive drops substantially. She was found days after that window closed, says the BBC.
Japan’s Self-Defense Forces are using helicopters for rescue operations and deliver supplies to isolated areas, as several roads remain blocked.
According to public broadcaster NHK, rescue efforts could be hampered by wet weather forecasted for Sunday in some quake-hit areas, with authorities warning that even a small amount of rain could trigger more landslides. They also warned that a cold front is expected on Sunday, which could bring snowfall through Monday in mountainous areas of the quake-hit Ishikawa prefecture.
