Some schools reopen and garbage collection resumes in Japan’s areas hardest-hit by New Year’s quake

By MARI YAMAGUCHI
Associated Press

TOKYO (AP) — Some schools have reopened and limited garbage collection has resumed in Japan’s northcentral region of Noto that was hit by the deadly New Year’s Day earthquake. Monday’s developments were signs of slight improvement in the devastation that thousands of people still face in the area. The magnitude 7.6 earthquake on Jan. 1 left 222 people dead and more than 20 are still missing. Hundreds were injured. About 20,000 people, most of whom had their homes damaged or destroyed, are sheltering in school gymnasiums, community centers an other makeshift facilities. That’s according to the central government and the Ishikawa prefecture disaster data.