A magnitude 6.0 earthquake has rocked central Japan , according to the country’s Meteorological Agency.
The earthquake struck off the Sea of Japan coast on Tuesday, rattling the same part of the country as the devastating New Year's Day quake. No tsunami warning has yet been issued. It comes as the country reels from the huge tremor on January 1 and its aftershocks that caused widespread destruction.
The death toll from the powerful earthquake passed 200 on Tuesday, with over 100 people still unaccounted for, authorities said.
The 7.5 magnitude quake destroyed and toppled buildings, caused fires and knocked out infrastructure on the Noto Peninsula on Japan's main island Honshu just as families were celebrating the start of the year.
Over a week later thousands of rescuers were battling blocked roads and poor weather to clear the wreckage as well as reach almost 3,500 people still stuck in isolated communities.
Ishikawa regional authorities released figures on Tuesday showing that 202 people were confirmed dead, up from 180 earlier in the day, with 102 unaccounted for, down from 120.
The rescue effort since the magnitude 7.6 New Year's Day quake has drawn thousands of troops, firefighters and police, who continue to pick through collapsed buildings hoping to find survivors.
As of Monday almost 30,000 people were living in around 400 government shelters, some of which were packed and struggling to provide adequate food, water and heating.
Almost 60,000 households were without running water and 15,600 had no electricity supply.
Authorities warned of the danger of landslides, exacerbated by a heavy snowfall, around the January 1 quake's epicenter on the Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa prefecture.
Japanese meteorological officials warned strong quakes could persist for another month. Their frequency, while gradually diminishing, remained high compared to past quakes, totalling more than 1,000.
