TOKYO - The number of people currently unaccounted for surged to 323 in the central Japanese prefecture of Ishikawa as of 9:00 am local time on Monday, one week after a series of earthquakes of up to 7.6 magnitude struck the prefecture and its vicinity, local media reported.

Meanwhile, the death toll has climbed to 168 in the prefecture, according to national broadcaster NHK.

The strongest temblor, officially named the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake, is classified as a reverse fault earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.6 by a government panel, and intermittent aftershocks are hampering recovery support to the affected areas.