In Kashima, Kumamoto Prefecture, responders are seen working outside AEON Mall following an explosion triggered by a recent earthquake. This aerial image captures the scene, taken by a drone. The disaster has significantly affected rural communities in southwestern Japan.
A powerful earthquake that struck the region has caused severe devastation. It toppled a factory chimney, flattened homes, and caused an explosion at a mall, leading to a tragic loss of at least 23 lives. Rescuers in the Kumamoto area, located on Japan’s southern main island of Kyushu, are racing against time to find survivors of the magnitude 7.1 earthquake that occurred on Tuesday. The exact number of missing persons remains unclear.
The Kumamoto prefectural government reported that at least 63 people were injured, with five sustaining serious injuries. However, Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara provided a higher death toll, stating 28 fatalities based on police tallies. Some of these cases might later be determined unrelated to the earthquake.
Survivors recount returning home to find family members trapped in the wreckage, some injured and in need of urgent medical attention. Thousands have taken refuge in evacuation centers established in gymnasiums and other large spaces, as many homes remain without utilities like water or electricity.
The disaster impacted nearly 23,000 homes, still without electricity, with over 10,000 people staying in approximately 400 shelters. Efforts to provide power sources for air conditioning are ongoing, as concerns about heat-related illnesses grow. The Ministry of Environment has issued a heat stroke alert, with temperatures in the Kumamoto area expected to rise to 33°C (91°F).
Despite Japan’s strict building codes due to frequent earthquakes, many older homes in the region are vulnerable. The Aeon Mall in Kashima suffered the most serious damage when the earthquake hit. The earthquake struck in the late afternoon, and the mall, bustling with thousands of people, was quickly evacuated. However, the explosion in another section of the mall still trapped people as the second floor collapsed. By early Thursday, among the 11 people extracted from the wreckage, six fatalities were confirmed.
Family members of the missing awaited news near the destroyed mall despite the sweltering temperatures. In Yatsushiro, where a factory chimney collapsed, rescue teams saved ten individuals. Tragically, eight others were confirmed dead, and one remained missing according to the prefectural government’s disaster team.
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