The death toll from strong earthquakes on the west coast of Japan has risen further. At least 57 people were killed in the hard-hit prefecture of Ishikawa, the television station NHK reported on Wednesday morning. In towns such as Wajima, Suzu and Noto on the Noto peninsula, numerous houses collapsed or were destroyed by fires. NHK reported that the full extent of the destruction has not yet been assessed. Since the New Year, the region has been shaken by a series of earthquakes. The most violent one reached a magnitude of 7.6 on Monday.