Yame (Japan), Jul. 29 (LaPresse) – Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said that 13 people have been found dead after the powerful magnitude 7.1 earthquake that struck the Kumamoto area, on the southern main island of Kyushu, late Tuesday afternoon. “There are still people waiting to be rescued and it is a race against time,” Takaichi said. “We will do everything possible to find and rescue as many people as possible,” she added. The prime minister expressed her condolences to the victims and her closeness to their families, while urging people affected by the earthquake to pay attention to their health due to the high temperatures. Rescue teams, supported by the Self-Defense Forces, are working to find missing people and assist the population in the hardest-hit areas. The earthquake caused part of a shopping center at Aeon Mall in Kashima and a chimney at an industrial facility in Yatsushiro to collapse, trapping several people. Damage was also reported to Kumamoto Castle and a train derailed at Yatsushiro Station. Authorities have ruled out major damage to strategic infrastructure and anomalies at nearby nuclear power plants. Aso Kumamoto Airport remains closed, while numerous companies have temporarily suspended production. The Japan Meteorological Agency is urging the population to remain highly cautious due to the risk of further aftershocks in the coming days. The affected area is located about 900 kilometers southwest of Tokyo.
Japan, at least 13 dead after magnitude 7.1 earthquake
Yame (Japan), Jul. 29 (LaPresse) – Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said that 13 people have been found dead after the powerful magnitude 7.1 earthquake that struck the Kumamoto area, on the southern main island of Kyushu, late Tuesday afternoon. “There are still people waiting to be rescued and it is a race against time,” Takaichi said. “We will do everything possible to find and rescue as many people as possible,” she added. The prime minister expressed her condolences to the victims and her closeness to their families, while urging people affected by the earthquake to pay attention to their health due to the high temperatures. Rescue teams, supported by the Self-Defense Forces, are working to find missing people and assist the population in the hardest-hit areas. The earthquake caused part of a shopping center at Aeon Mall in Kashima and a chimney at an industrial facility in Yatsushiro to collapse, trapping several people. Damage was also reported to Kumamoto Castle and a train derailed at Yatsushiro Station. Authorities have ruled out major damage to strategic infrastructure and anomalies at nearby nuclear power plants. Aso Kumamoto Airport remains closed, while numerous companies have temporarily suspended production. The Japan Meteorological Agency is urging the population to remain highly cautious due to the risk of further aftershocks in the coming days. The affected area is located about 900 kilometers southwest of Tokyo.
