A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan, on July 28, resulting in at least 13 confirmed fatalities.
According to the Nihon Keizai Shimbun (Nikkei) and Kyodo News, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi reported that the death toll includes cases under investigation for their connection to the earthquake. Among the deceased are two women in their 20s who died at the Aeon Mall Kumamoto in Kashima.
The Kumamoto Disaster Response Headquarters reported three officially confirmed deaths and five individuals in cardiac arrest as of the morning of July 29. The 13 fatalities mentioned by Takaichi include cases still being verified for their relation to the earthquake, leading to discrepancies with the official count.
At the Aeon Mall, approximately 200 people evacuated immediately after the quake, but an explosion occurred, causing part of the second floor to collapse. Eight individuals were rescued, while two women were confirmed dead and one woman was found in cardiac arrest. Five others sustained injuries.
Initially, reports indicated that 20 to 30 individuals inside the mall were unaccounted for. The Kumamoto authorities later announced that 10 people were missing, but confirmed they were still verifying the exact number on July 29. A senior government official suggested that a gas leak may have caused the explosion.
In Yatsushiro City, part of a chimney at the Nippon Paper Yatsushiro plant collapsed, trapping 11 employees. Four were rescued, but two are in cardiac arrest and two others are seriously injured. The status of the remaining seven individuals is still unknown.
One person rescued from a collapsed house in Yatsushiro has also been confirmed dead. Police and fire authorities conducted overnight searches for the missing, but faced challenges due to the risk of secondary collapses.
Evacuations are ongoing. As of 7 a.m. on July 29, the Japanese Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications reported that over 90,000 residents in two cities in Kumamoto Prefecture were issued the highest level of evacuation alert, termed 'Emergency Safety Assurance.' More than 260,000 residents in Kumamoto and Nagasaki Prefectures have been ordered to evacuate.
By the same time, police received 386 reports related to earthquake damage in the Kyushu region. The National Police Agency has dispatched emergency assistance teams from ten regional police departments, including the Tokyo Metropolitan Police and Fukuoka Prefectural Police, to Kumamoto.
Infrastructure damage is also widespread. Approximately 140,000 households in 17 cities, towns, and villages in Kumamoto Prefecture are without water, and Yatsushiro City has cut off water supply to all 60,000 households. As of 9 a.m. on July 29, over 34,000 households in Kumamoto Prefecture were without power.
The Kyushu Shinkansen suspended all services from the first train on July 29. The line between Kumamoto and Kagoshima-Chuo will remain closed throughout the day, and 11 Japan Airlines flights and two All Nippon Airways flights to and from Kumamoto Airport have been canceled.
The Japan Meteorological Agency noted that this earthquake shares characteristics with the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake and urged residents to prepare for potential tremors of up to magnitude 7 over the next week. They specifically warned of the likelihood of strong aftershocks occurring within two to three days following the initial quake, with 15 tremors of magnitude 4 or higher recorded by 8 p.m. on July 28.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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