Rescue teams in southern Japan are racing against time to find survivors trapped in the rubble after a powerful earthquake struck the Kumamoto area on the southern main island of Kyushu, leaving widespread devastation in its wake. The earthquake, which had a magnitude of 7.1 according to the Japan meteorological agency, caused buildings to collapse, roads to be severely damaged, and emergency teams to dig through rubble in search of survivors. At least 13 people have been killed and many reported missing, with the Japanese prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, stating that rescue workers face a ‘race against time’ to reach those still trapped.
The US Geological Survey measured the earthquake at magnitude 6.8. Eight people were pulled from the rubble of a partially collapsed Aeon shopping centre near the city of Kumamoto following an apparent explosion that occurred around an hour after the earthquake. Aeon said four workers at the shopping centre remained unaccounted for.
Seven people are also still missing at the Nippon Paper Industries factory where a chimney collapsed onto the site. Japan’s Mainichi newspaper reported that four people were rescued from the rubble at the paper mill, including two who were seriously injured. Nearly 37,000 homes were still without electricity, 9,500 homes were without gas, and communication networks were not working in some areas, according to chief government spokesperson Minoru Kihara.
More than 9,000 people left their homes to stay in more than 500 shelters, with Kihara adding that the situation, including aftershocks and recovery efforts, is changing daily. Toyota and Honda have suspended operations in their factories in Kumamoto until Friday, citing the need to prioritise safety above all else. Weather officials in Japan have warned of another hot day across wide areas of the country, including in the southern Kumamoto prefecture, with temperatures forecast to reach 35C in Kumamoto and highs of 38C in Miyazaki on Kyushu island.
Officials have advised people in the disaster-affected areas to take breaks while working outdoors on rescue operations and other recovery work. The cause of the explosion at the Aeon shopping centre, which occurred about an hour after the earthquake struck, is still under investigation, with a gas smell detected inside the building during yesterday’s search by firefighters and police. The Japanese ministry of defence has shared drone footage showing the devastation inside the Aeon shopping centre, with the second floor of the shopping centre collapsing and three people believed to be still trapped.
Akio Yoshida, the president of retail company Aeon, told a press briefing that three workers at the shopping centre in Kumamuto are still missing. He confirmed three people were killed, all of whom were employees. Yoshida expressed his deepest condolences to those who have passed away and offered his sincerest apologies to their families.
The explosion occurred at about 5.50pm, approximately one hour and 20 minutes after the earthquake. Yoshida said 3,000 people were inside the shopping centre when the earthquake hit. Addressing concerns over a possible gas leak, Yoshida told reporters the shopping centre has been using liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) since its opening in 2005, and that no problems such as gas leaks have been reported in the past.
