TOKYO (AP) — Japan is racing to rescue those affected by a series of major earthquakes that have left at least 55 people dead, dozens injured, and homes destroyed.

The Prime Minister, Fumio Kishida, has described the situation as a “battle against time” during an emergency disaster meeting. The quakes, the largest of which had a magnitude of 7.6, struck on the west coast of Japan’s main island on Monday, causing buildings to shake in Tokyo, which is around 300km away.

The worst-affected area is in the country’s relatively remote Noto peninsula. Rescue operations have been hindered by damaged and blocked roads, and one of the area’s airports has been forced to close due to runway cracks. In Wajima city, fires were still burning at 7am local time on Tuesday, and the fire department reports more than 100 homes and other buildings have been completely destroyed.

Aftershocks are expected to hit the affected areas, and coastal residents have been advised not to return home despite tsunami warnings being lifted. Trains and flights in and out of the region were suspended, major highways remained closed, and water supplies were cut due to burst pipes in some areas.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the UK was ready to support Japan, and US President Joe Biden mentioned that his administration was ready to provide any necessary assistance.

Japan is the most quake-prone nation in the world. The last time a tsunami warning of this magnitude was issued was in 2011, after a major quake and tsunami struck the north-east part of the country, killing 18,000 people. Radiation levels at the monitoring posts in the region were reported to be normal following the recent quakes.