A woman in her 90s was rescued from beneath the rubble of a collapsed house Saturday in western Japan, five days after a powerful earthquake struck the region and killed more than 126 people.
The woman, who has not been identified, had been trapped beneath the first floor of the two-story structure in the town of Suzu after the 7.56 magnitude earthquake rocked the area, The New York Times reported. She was rescued at about 8:20 p.m. local time and was taken to an area hospital, according to the officer of Ishikawa Prefecture.
The Japanese newspaper Yomiuri Shimbun reported that the woman was responsive but was believed to be suffering from hypothermia, the BBC reported.
On Sunday, a doctor told reporters that the woman was well enough to speak, but her legs were injured, according to CNN.
Kume Takanori, a member of the emergency rescue team, told NHK that the woman’s knees had been stuck under furniture between the first and second floor, CNN reported. It took hours to free her, Takanori said.
The Times, citing experts, reported that the window for finding survivors after an earthquake is typically three days. It is possible to survive for longer periods, depending on access to water and food, temperatures in the area and the extent of the person’s injuries.
The death toll from the earthquake continues to rise, with at least 222 people still reported as missing, according to the newspaper.
Wajima city has had the highest number of fatalities, with 69, The Guardian reported. Suzu has 38 deaths.
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