Photo/Illutration A collapsed house in Suzu, Ishikawa Prefecture, on May 5 (Provided by a resident)

Authorities urged residents of the Noto region of Ishikawa Prefecture to remain vigilant in the face of continued seismic activity following a powerful magnitude-6.5 earthquake that claimed at least one life on the afternoon of May 5.

Heavy rain started to pour in some areas on the morning of May 6, prompting the Japan Meteorological Agency to warn of the risk of landslides. The rainfall was expected to peak in the evening.

The first temblor hit at 2:42 p.m. at a depth of 12 kilometers. The magnitude-6.5 quake registered upper 6 on the seven-point Japanese intensity scale in Suzu, a city at the northeastern tip of the Noto Peninsula, the JMA said.

In Suzu, a man died after he fell while repairing a roof. Officials said 22 people were also injured there, along with one person in Takaoka, Toyama Prefecture.

Property damage was also reported.

Around 10 p.m. on May 5, a quake with a maximum seismic intensity of upper 5 hit the region.

As of 8 a.m. on May 6, authorities said 51 earthquakes with a maximum seismic intensity of 1 or higher had been recorded.

The JMA warned of the risk of landslides, exacerbated by the heavy rain, in areas that had experienced heavy shaking.

Heavy rain is expected in Hokuriku region from the evening of May 6 until before dawn on May 7, the JMA said.

In Ishikawa Prefecture, 120 millimeters of rain was forecast over the 24 hours until 6 a.m. on May 7.

In Niigata and Toyama prefectures, the 24-hour precipitation until 6 a.m. on May 7 was projected to hit 100 mm.

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