The death toll from the earthquake in Japan has risen to 64

The death toll from the earthquake that struck Japan on January 1 has risen to 64. This earthquake has become the deadliest in Japan since 2016, Reuters reports.

On Wednesday, heavy rains were expected in the areas affected by the earthquake, which could lead to landslides and make search and rescue operations even more difficult. Assistance to the affected area is also difficult due to destroyed roads and infrastructure. The extent of the damage and the total number of victims of the earthquake still remain unclear, Reuters notes.

An earthquake with a magnitude of 7.6 occurred on the Noto Peninsula on Monday afternoon. According to the authorities of Ishikawa prefecture, more than 33 thousand people have left their homes, and in some areas there is no access to water and electricity.

On Tuesday, the mayor of the city of Suzu, located not far from the epicenter of the earthquake, said that 90 percent of houses in the city could be destroyed.

A total of about 200 earthquakes have occurred in Japan since January 1.

• On Tuesday at the Tokyo airport, a coast guard plane, which was headed to the areas affected by the earthquake, collided with a passenger plane of the Japan Airlines airline. As a result, five employees of the coast guard died. All 379 people on board the Japan Airlines flight were saved.