KURIHARA, Japan — Rescue teams using shovels and buckets tried today to dig their way to seven people thought trapped in a landslide at a hot-springs resort after an earthquake pounded the mountains of northern Japan, killing at least six and injuring more than 200.
The fire department squads worked as military helicopters buzzed overhead and frequent aftershocks posed the threat of the ground collapsing under their feet.
The 7.2-magnitude quake Saturday triggered several major landslides, blocking roads and stranding bathers at the hot- springs resort, which is in a heavily forested mountainous area outside the small city of Kurihara. Crews searching for the missing had to hike mountain trails and dig their way to the worst-hit areas.
“It was the worst quake I have ever felt,” said Rinji Sato, whose grocery store in this town near the epicenter was a mess of shattered bottles and food thrown from shelves. “We were just lucky this didn’t hit a big city.”
Search teams have recovered the bodies of six dead but think at least nine more may be missing. News reports put the number of injured at about 260.
The government responded quickly to the quake, mobilizing troops, police and fire department rescue teams to find and care for the injured and to recover the dead.
“Our most important task is to save as many lives as possible, and we are doing the best we can,” said Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda.
Access, however, was a major obstacle.
The quake, followed by more than 200 aftershocks, buckled roads, including one highway that was severed when a stretch of land collapsed, turning it into a sudden drop-off.
Train service, water and electricity, which had been cut, was restored to most areas today. About 2,800 homes in Kurihara city were still without power, however.
