Earthquake in Japan has killed over 100 people with hundreds more still missing

A magnitude 7.6 earthquake that struck Japan's west coast on New Year’s Day has become Japan's deadliest in eight years as the death toll climbed over 100 people.

Search and rescue efforts are entering their sixth day, and the death toll has been rising, with authorities still expecting to find more casualties due to the hundreds that are still reported missing.

Further complicating search and rescue efforts has been the damage to infrastructure like roads and essential services.

This earthquake is the worst since earthquakes in southwestern Japan that killed 276 back in 2016.

The worst hit area was the town of Wajima, which was virtually destroyed, with buildings toppled by the earthquake and a massive fire triggered by the aftershocks that destroyed the town's historic centuries-old market.

The road to recovery for the area will be a long one, while the road to recovery for many families may never be traveled. Towns and roads can be rebuilt, but the lives lost can never be recovered.