The death toll from the magnitude 7.1 earthquake in Japan’s Kumamoto Prefecture has risen to at least 13. Rescuers continue to search for people trapped under the rubble, Reuters reported.
The earthquake struck on July 28. Its epicenter was located about 20 kilometers south of the city of Kumamoto on the island of Kyushu. The earthquake damaged buildings, roads and bridges, leaving tens of thousands of households without electricity.
Rescuers search for people under shopping mall rubble
One of the hardest-hit buildings was the Aeon Mall Kumamoto shopping mall. About an hour after the earthquake, a powerful explosion occurred in the building, causing part of the structure to collapse.
Rescuers retrieved eight people from the rubble. Three of them have died. The cause of the explosion remains under investigation, with authorities examining the possibility of a gas leak.
The shopping mall housed about 200 stores and had only reopened in June after a major renovation. It had previously been damaged in the devastating 2016 earthquake.
People missing after collapse at plant
Another seven people are missing following the collapse of a chimney at Nippon Paper Industries. Four people were seriously injured.
Dozens of injured people were taken to hospitals. Some medical facilities became overwhelmed.
About 260,000 people moved to evacuation centers
Authorities advised about 260,000 prefecture residents to go to evacuation centers.
Residents were warned of the possibility of more strong tremors over the next week, as well as the risk of landslides.
Plants suspend operations
Honda and semiconductor manufacturing equipment maker Tokyo Electron temporarily suspended operations at their facilities in the region due to the earthquake.
The world’s largest contract chipmaker, TSMC, had evacuated workers from its facility in Kumamoto but gradually resumed operations on the evening of July 28.
Large cracks appeared on several highways. Road damage caused traffic jams and hampered the work of emergency services.
Transport disruptions
According to Kyodo News, Japan Airlines Co. canceled 11 flights, while All Nippon Airways Co. canceled two.
Kyushu Shinkansen bullet train service and several other lines were suspended on July 29. Affected sections included parts of the Kyushu Shinkansen line serving Kumamoto, along with conventional lines in the Kumamoto area. The operator suspended services while conducting safety checks and said it would provide updates on operations. The West Kyushu Shinkansen, a separate line, was not affected, according to the company’s service status.
Notably, Kumamoto was struck by another devastating earthquake in 2016. A series of powerful tremors killed 275 people, injured another 2,739, and damaged thousands of buildings, including historic structures.
