The 6.5-magnitude earthquake struck at 2:42 p.m. (0542 GMT) in Ishikawa Prefecture, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA). She initially estimated the magnitude at 6.3.

By Saturday morning, at least 55 aftershocks had been recorded since the initial tremor, according to the same source, which further warned of the risk of landslides in the region. At least 29 people were injured, the national crisis management agency said on Saturday.

 » Our staff are assessing the damage caused by the earthquake , » an official from Suzu city in Ishikawa prefecture, which was hardest hit, told AFP. Two people trapped in a destroyed building were rescued, he added, and about fifty people were given emergency accommodation in schools and the town hall.

The victim died after falling from a ladder in Suzu, on the Sea of ​​Japan coast, according to a crisis management official in this city. NHK footage showed destroyed or damaged wooden houses, with shattered windows and battered roofs.