A powerful earthquake that struck Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido Thursday has left at least 16 people dead or presumed dead while an unspecified number remain missing as well as injured.
The earthquake measured a magnitude 6.7, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, and was followed by a massive landslide when the entire side of a ridge collapsed and buried nearby villages in soil and trees.
By Friday, rescue teams were using dogs, backhoes, and shovels to dig through the devastation in search of people, Time reported.
Three million households remained without power as of Friday as the result of a local power station being incapacitated from the natural disaster, the Hokkaido Electric Power Company said.
At least 150 people were hurt as a result of the earthquake, with the majority reported by residents in Sapporo, according to CNN.
In one small town, Atsuma, 26 people remained missing.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe deployed more than 4,000 soldiers to the region to help with rescue and recovery efforts. The government could send as many as 25,000 troops to assist in the coming weeks.
Aftershocks lingered in the region Thursday and could continue into next week, making buildings that are still standing a threat to residents and passersby.
