Thousands of rescuers pressed on in their search for survivors of a New Year's Day quake that killed at least 77 people in Japan, hoping to save as many as they can within a three day survival window which ends on Thursday afternoon.
"There's little time left until it's 72 hours since the quake," Masuhiro Izumiya, the mayor of hard-hit Suzu city, said on Wednesday evening at a regional disaster response meeting.
"We really need to muster all of our remaining strength to continue rescue efforts."
Survival rates drop off 72 hours after the quake, according to emergency responders.
Severed roads and the remote location of the worst-hit areas have complicated rescue efforts. Nearly 600 tremors have hit the Noto peninsula since the main quake, raising fears of landslides and further damage to infrastructure.