A powerful earthquake struck southwestern Japan's Kumamoto prefecture on Tuesday, killing at least 28 people and displacing thousands. Rescue operations continue as survivors face extreme heat in evacuation centres.
A magnitude 6.8 earthquake that struck Kumamoto prefecture on Kyushu island in southwestern Japan on Tuesday has claimed 28 lives, with rescue workers still searching for survivors among collapsed structures and rubble.
The disaster caused extensive damage across the region, including the partial collapse of an Aeon shopping centre where a gas explosion occurred approximately one hour after the initial tremor. According to the mall's president, a gas explosion appears likely, though investigations into the blast's cause remain ongoing. At least five people died when a Nippon Paper factory in nearby Yatsushiro city partially collapsed, with seven of 11 trapped workers rescued as of Wednesday. Rescue teams have deployed thousands of personnel to search through damaged sites, including the shopping centre and factory.
More than 9,000 residents have been displaced and are sheltering in evacuation centres across the prefecture. The situation has been complicated by severe weather conditions, with temperatures forecast to reach 39 degrees Celsius in coming days. In response, Japan's defence minister announced the delivery of 300 air conditioning units, with 150 designated for evacuation centres to help prevent heatstroke among survivors and rescue workers. As of Wednesday, over 30,000 households remained without power. Many residents have opted to sleep in vehicles due to concerns about the more than 100 aftershocks recorded since Tuesday's initial quake.
The Aeon mall, which had undergone renovation and reopened only last month, suffered damage during the 2016 earthquake sequence that killed 278 people in the region. A cat cafe located within the mall reported that all 25 of its animals were safely recovered despite being left behind during the initial chaos.
