232 confirmed dead after Japan's Noto quake: local gov't

TOKYO - The death toll from the powerful earthquake which struck central Japanese prefecture of Ishikawa rose to 232 on Wednesday, according to local authorities.

According to the prefectural government, the updated figure came as of 9 am local time, with an additional 10 casualties reported by the city of Wajima, one of the most-hit regions by the Noto Peninsula Earthquake.

Local authorities said these fatalities were discovered in the vicinity of the Wajima Morning Market, a popular tourist spot that suffered extensive damage in the earthquake-triggered fires immediately following the seismic event.

Since last week, the Wajima Morning Market has been the focus of large-scale search and rescue operations.

The number of individuals unaccounted for has decreased by one, leaving Wajima city with 17 missing persons and Suzu city with four, totaling 21 people.

According to local media reports, the damage to residences has reached a staggering 22,374 confirmed cases, and there is a high likelihood that the number of affected buildings will significantly increase as further assessments are conducted.

In cities of Wajima and Suzu, the extent of the damage is still described as "numerous", with the actual situation remaining unclear, reported national news agency Kyodo.