Buried Girld Found Dead, Quake Death Toll Now at 35

Thursday, October 28, 2004 Posted: 10:40 PM JST

A day after her 2-year old brother was miraculously rescued, a a 3-year old girl was found dead in the car in which the two were buried with their mother. The mother was found dead yesterday. The car was buried on a steep slope covered in large rocks after a landslide occurred when the three drove by.

Rescue work was extremely dangerous. Television cameras recorded how rescue workers stopped again and again and wearily watched huge rocks above them as several strong aftershocks interrupted their efforts to save the family.

Today a 48-year old housewife also died after succumbing to stress and fatigue. A problem that appears to become increasingly common among survivors of the quake, many of whom have been living in cars since last Saturday.

Although temperatures are plummeting to 5 degrees centigrade, and evacuation centers are often rickety and cold, it will take several weeks before temporary housing is available.

Assistance for the victims is slowly arriving from all over Japan as it becomes clear how serious the damage is in Niigata. The shortage of manpower is especially acute. TV stations are continuously broadcasting appeals for volunteers and funds.

Keywords: national_news

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