CNN –
There were devastated scenes along Japan's west coast on Tuesday as rescuers raced to save residents trapped in the rubble of a magnitude 7.5 quake that triggered multiple aftershocks and killed dozens of people.
The quake struck the Noto Peninsula in central Ishikawa Prefecture on Monday afternoon, causing buildings to collapse, starting fires and triggering tsunami warnings as far away as eastern Russia.
At least 57 people were killed in the earthquake, according to Japanese public broadcaster NHK, citing officials in Ishikawa Prefecture.
And five people died at Tokyo's Haneda Airport on Tuesday when a Japan Airlines jet collided with a Coast Guard plane en route to earthquake relief.
Japan's weather agency lifted all tsunami warnings for parts of the country's west coast on Tuesday, but access to the northern part of the remote Noto Peninsula was restricted more than 24 hours after the earthquake.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told reporters after an emergency meeting on Tuesday that a destroyed road had cut off access to the area.
Officials flew helicopters over the peninsula known for its coastal and rural landscapes and saw damaged roads, landslides and large fires, he said.
“To secure the route there, we must mobilize all means of transport, not only on the ground but also by air and sea transport. “We have been making efforts to transport goods, supplies and personnel there since last night,” Kishida said.
The central city of Wajima, home to more than 27,000 people, appeared to be the hardest hit. Officials in the city of Wajima told CNN that 15 deaths have been confirmed there.
The coastal town is famous for its morning market and fine traditional lacquerware, but initial aerial surveys on Tuesday showed smoldering fires and large plumes of smoke engulfing streets of destroyed buildings.
The city previously experienced tsunami waves of about 1.2 meters (3.9 feet), according to NHK.
On Tuesday, the Wajima City Fire Department reported that a fire that broke out on Monday was believed to have burned around 200 buildings on Asaichi Street, a popular tourist area in Wajima, NHK reported.
The authority also said 25 buildings, including houses, collapsed and people may still be trapped in 14 buildings, according to NHK.
In addition, around 500 people are stranded at Noto Airport after the terminal was damaged. They are being provided with food and blankets, but surrounding roads are damaged so they cannot get out, NHK reported on Tuesday, adding that the airport will remain closed at least until Thursday.
The earthquake and tsunami warnings caused thousands of people to flee coastal areas. As of Tuesday afternoon, more than 27,700 people in Ishikawa had sought refuge in 336 evacuation centers, the local government spokesman told CNN.
While the extent of the damage from Monday's quake is still being determined, it is a far cry from the level of destruction caused by the magnitude 9.0 quake in 2011, which triggered a tsunami that led to a meltdown at the Fukushima power plant led to a catastrophe that is still felt today.
Prime Minister Kishida said on Tuesday that members of the Japan Self-Defense Force, along with police and firefighters, rescued people from devastated areas overnight.
“Rescue efforts are a fight against time. “The victims of collapsed buildings in particular must be rescued as quickly as possible,” he said.
Japan's fire department said Monday it was responding to reports of people trapped under damaged buildings, NHK reported.
According to NHK, citing police in Ishikawa, it was later confirmed that an elderly man who had been pulled from a house that collapsed in the quake had died.
Health officials in the city of Suzu said some doctors were unable to treat injured patients because damaged roads made it impossible for them to travel to work.
According to utility Hokuriku Electric Power, 45,700 households in Ishikawa remained without power on Tuesday.
After the quake, Japan's Kansai Electric and Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said no abnormalities had been reported at nuclear power plants near the affected areas.
According to NHK, citing Japan Railways West, four bullet trains whose high-speed runs were suspended due to the earthquake, trapping nearly 1,400 passengers for about 11 hours, resumed service on Tuesday morning.
Bullet trains were stuck between the central cities of Toyama and Kanazawa after the 7.5-magnitude earthquake.
The tsunami warnings have been lifted, but the risk of aftershocks remains
Monday's strong quake prompted the Japan Meteorological Agency to immediately issue a “severe tsunami warning” for Noto – the first since the devastating earthquake and tsunami in 2011 – but later downgraded it to a “tsunami warning”.
Tsunami warnings were later lifted as the threat of further tsunami waves decreased.
Under the Japanese tsunami warning system, waves expected to be less than 1 meter high fall under the “Tsunami Warning,” while waves expected to be up to 3 meters high fall under the “Tsunami Warning.” Warning” and waves expected to exceed 5 meters in height fall under the “Large Tsunami Warning”.
The first waves were reported to reach the coast just over ten minutes after the quake.
Video shows a wave crashing over a protective seawall in the western city of Suzu on Monday.
Watch massive waves crash onto land following the earthquake in Japan
At least 35 smaller aftershocks were reported near the quake's epicenter, according to the United States Geological Survey.
Susan Hough, a seismologist with the US Geological Survey, warned that the aftershocks could last for months.
Hough said people in this part of the country have felt quakes before, but she believes this is “by far the largest earthquake” – meaning most residents likely have no experience with a seismic event of this magnitude.
“An earthquake this large will continue to have aftershocks. There could easily be magnitude 6 aftershocks, so that poses a danger in its own right,” Hough said.