Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Wednesday said 13 people have been confirmed dead after a strong earthquake hit southwestern Japan, with search and rescue operations continuing Wednesday morning for those still missing.
A magnitude 7.1 earthquake hit the Kumamoto region on the southern island of Kyushu late Tuesday afternoon. The affected area lies roughly 900 kilometres southwest of Tokyo. The second floor of the Aeon Mall in Kashima Town collapsed, trapping several people inside, according to the fire department in Kumamoto. Separately, at Nippon Paper Industries Co.’s Yatsushiro factory, a chimney came down, burying people under debris, the emergency team said.
Hereโs what PM Sanae Takaichi said on earthqakeย ย
Takaichi said the rescue operation team members are racing against time to reach survivors, adding that authorities would do everything possible to find and rescue as many people as they could. “There are people who are still waiting to be rescued, and it’s a race against time,” she said, adding, “We will go all out to find and rescue as many people as we can.โ
She offered condolences to the victims’ families and asked those affected to look after themselves given the hot weather. She also said that the Self-Defence Forces joined rescue workers and were delivering water, food and other essentials to the worst-hit areas.
40 injured people taken to hospital in Yatsushiroย
As per Kyodo News, around 40 injured people were taken to a hospital in Yatsushiro and about 50 more to a hospital in Kumamoto city. Operations have been halted at several major manufacturers on Tuesday, reporting no serious damage.ย ย
The runway at Aso Kumamoto Airport was also shut, with no word yet on reopening.ย A train derailed and toppled at Yatsushiro station, and at Kumamoto Castle. Kumamoto Castle, which was still under repair from the 2016 earthquake, suffered damage to its stone walls, Kyodo news reported.
โThe shaking reminded me of the Kumamoto quake (10 years ago), and I was frightened,” said Hiroki Shimoda, an official at Mifune town hall, who watched roof tiles fall off nearby houses.
The Fire and Disaster Management Agency said no major public facilities or infrastructure had been damaged. And the Nuclear Regulation Authority also reported that there were no abnormalities at three nearby nuclear plants. The Japan Meteorological Agency has warned residents to stay alert for aftershocks over the next two to three days.
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