The death toll resulting from a strong earthquake in southwest Japan has climbed to 34, according to the Kumamoto prefectural government’s announcement on Friday. Rescue teams are working urgently to locate survivors following the earthquake that caused a mall explosion, collapsed a factory chimney, and destroyed homes in the area. The calamity has left numerous households without power and tens of thousands without access to tap water. Many residents are currently seeking refuge in shelters or vehicles, raising concerns among medical personnel about heat-related illnesses due to the region’s extreme summer temperatures. The earthquake, measuring 7.1 on the Richter scale, struck the southern main island of Kyushu on Tuesday.
As the search and rescue operations entered their fourth day, the exact number of missing individuals and the extent of the damage to homes in the region remained uncertain. Officials have confirmed 34 deaths related to the earthquake, with one additional death still under investigation, alongside numerous injuries.
By Friday afternoon, over 79,000 homes were without water, and more than 2,700 lacked electricity. Authorities reported that over 9,000 individuals were being housed in shelters, where efforts were underway to provide air conditioning through additional power sources. Fuel shortages have also become a concern, as power outages have hindered gas stations’ operations and disrupted deliveries from other areas. Many residents have resorted to sleeping in their vehicles, although the scarcity of fuel poses challenges in maintaining air conditioning in the sweltering conditions.
Temperatures in Kumamoto city were expected to reach 36 degrees Celsius on Friday, following scorching heat at 35 degrees Celsius on the previous day, as per the Japan Meteorological Agency.
Japanese officials emphasized that Friday afternoon marked a crucial phase for rescue operations, as experts noted that the chances of survival decrease after the initial three days. Search teams continued their efforts in the Kumamoto region, focusing on areas like the collapsed Aeon shopping mall in Kashima town, which witnessed significant damage. The mall was bustling with thousands of people at the time of the earthquake.
At the site of the shopping mall, seven fatalities have been confirmed, with 11 individuals rescued. However, the exact number of people still missing remains undisclosed. In a separate operation, the search at a Nippon Paper Industries factory in the Yatsushiro area, where a chimney collapsed, had concluded. Eleven individuals were rescued, while nine were confirmed dead in that incident.
Further search operations were ongoing at locations with collapsed houses in heavily affected towns in southern Kumamoto. Authorities have not provided a definitive count of missing persons as of yet.
