Photo/Illutration Firefighters on Jan. 30 search for victims of a landslide in Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture. (Shinnosuke Ito)

A majority of the fatalities from the Noto Peninsula earthquake resulted from being crushed beneath collapsed buildings or suffocating under such fallen structures.

As of 2 p.m. on Jan. 30, a total of 238 people died from the natural disaster, according to the Ishikawa prefectural government.

Of that number, 15 deaths are considered indirectly related to the quake and tsunami as the individuals developed injuries or had a worsening of pre-existing conditions as a result of evacuating from their homes.

The National Police Agency determined the cause of death for the remaining 222 individuals and 92 people, or 40 percent of the total, were crushed to death, and 49, or 20 percent, died due to suffocation or breathing failure.

The cold weather in the wake of the New Year’s Day earthquake led to 32 deaths due to hypothermia or freezing to death. Another 28 died due to traumatic shock.

Three people died in the fire that destroyed a neighborhood in Wajima, Ishikawa Prefecture.

The causes of death of 12 people could not be determined while six died from other reasons. No one drowned to death.

About 70 percent of those who were crushed to death were in Wajima or Suzu. Those two cities also accounted for about 90 percent of the deaths by other causes.

Close to 60 percent of the fatalities were among people 70 or older. Four children under 10 died as well as eight between 10 and 19.

The prefectural government has announced the names and ages of 128 victims and the circumstances in which they died.

According to the data, 111 people died under collapsed homes, eight in landslides, two in a tsunami, another two in fires and one at an evacuation center. One died at home and the location was not disclosed for three of the deceased.

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