The death toll after the devastating earthquake in Japan has officially reached 35 people, Reuters reports.
The earthquake with an initial magnitude of 7.1 on the Richter scale (revised by the US Geological Survey to 6.8) hit Kumamoto Prefecture hard. Local authorities confirmed that the total number of injured in the affected region is over 120 people, with five of them remaining in critical condition. According to Wikipedia, victims were spread across several municipalities, including Yatsushiro, Kashima and Hikawa.
Tragedy in the shopping mall and industrial area
Most of the fatalities were recorded in two serious incidents caused by seismic activity. In the city of Kashima, the second floor of the large shopping center “Aeon Mall“ collapsed, which was followed by a powerful gas explosion. Rescue teams managed to extract survivors, but the bodies of several dead employees and visitors were found at the scene.
At the same time, in the city of Yatsushiro, the massive chimney of a paper factory owned by “Nippon Paper Industries“ collapsed. The incident led to the immediate death of workers on the ground. According to BBC News, hundreds of soldiers from the Japan Self-Defense Forces have been mobilized in a “race against time” to clear the debris and find any survivors.
Infrastructure collapse and extreme heat
The earthquake left extensive material damage to the road network, bridges and historical monuments, including Kumamoto Castle. Rescue operations are further complicated by severe weather conditions:
- No electricity: Over 23,000 households remain without access to electricity.
- No water: About 75,000 buildings do not have running water.
- Dangerous heat: Temperatures in the area reached 35°C, creating a risk of heatstroke for thousands of evacuated citizens.
The Japan Meteorological Agency warned that the risk of strong aftershocks with an intensity of up to 7 degrees remained high over the next week, with an increased risk of landslides in mountainous areas.