Japan Earthquake Death Toll Rises to 34 as Rescue Efforts Intensify
KUMAMOTO, JAPAN-The death toll from a powerful earthquake that struck Japan’s southwestern island of Kyushu earlier this week rose to 34 on Thursday as rescue teams continued searching for survivors amid extreme summer heat, while thousands of residents remained without electricity and water, local authorities said.
The Kumamoto disaster management office said the updated toll included seven bodies recovered from the wreckage of an Aeon shopping mall, where a suspected gas explosion occurred after Tuesday’s earthquake. The blast caused extensive destruction at the complex after it had been evacuated following the tremor, although officials said an unknown number of employees remained inside when the explosion occurred.
Authorities also confirmed that eight people died at a Nippon Paper Industries factory in Yatsushiro city after part of a red-and-white smokestack collapsed during the quake. Five other people remained in critical condition.
The earthquake, measured at magnitude 7.1 by the Japan Meteorological authorities and 6.8 by the U.S. Geological Survey, caused widespread destruction across Kumamoto Prefecture and surrounding areas. Homes were flattened, bridges damaged and fires broke out, while essential infrastructure suffered significant disruption.
Nearly 9,500 people were staying in evacuation centres across the affected region on Thursday. More than 13,500 households remained without electricity, with many communities also facing prolonged water shortages as temperatures were forecast to reach 38 degrees Celsius over the coming days.
The combination of disrupted utilities and intense heat has complicated relief efforts, particularly for elderly residents. At an evacuation centre in Uki city, hundreds of evacuees rested on mats laid across community hall floors after abandoning homes that lacked electricity or air conditioning.
One evacuee told AFP that remaining at home or inside a vehicle had become increasingly difficult because of the heat and mosquitoes, describing the shelters as essential under the circumstances.
Residents in some of the worst-hit communities continued to struggle with basic necessities. In Hikawa, where numerous older buildings collapsed, many households remained without power or running water two days after the earthquake.
Kinuko Uemura, 85, said she and her husband survived after their traditional home collapsed but were forced to use facilities at a nearby school because their house no longer had a functioning toilet.
Retired resident Kenji Ota, 72, said he had been sleeping in his car due to the damage to his home and the lack of electricity. He described the earthquake as exceptionally powerful and said the conditions had made it difficult to rest.
Business owners also began assessing the economic impact of the disaster. Soshiro Okawa, who operates a roadside souvenir shop, said the ground rose beneath him during the earthquake, cracking the parking area and damaging the building’s foundation. He said the business would temporarily suspend operations while expressing concern for employees and local suppliers.
The Aeon shopping mall remained the focus of rescue operations on Thursday. Images from the site showed emergency workers navigating twisted steel, collapsed concrete and hanging cables as they searched for possible survivors. Authorities also confirmed that 25 cats were rescued from a cat café inside the shopping centre, prompting widespread attention on social media.
Japan is among the world’s most earthquake-prone countries, lying along the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” where four major tectonic plates converge. The country experiences hundreds of earthquakes each year, although most are minor.
Kumamoto Prefecture was previously devastated by two major earthquakes in 2016 that killed 273 people and injured more than 2,800. Japan also continues to live with the legacy of the magnitude 9.0 earthquake and tsunami in 2011, which left around 18,500 people dead or missing and triggered the Fukushima nuclear disaster.
