Japan earthquake death toll climbs to 34 as heat threatens evacuees

International

JAPAN’S earthquake death toll has risen to 34 as rescuers continue searching damaged buildings and thousands of displaced residents endure sweltering conditions in evacuation centres across Kumamoto prefecture.

The magnitude 6.8 quake struck Kumamoto prefecture on Kyushu island on Tuesday at a shallow depth of 10km (six miles), sending violent tremors across the region. It damaged homes, cut power lines and triggered more than 100 aftershocks, prompting many residents to sleep in their cars because of fears of further tremors.

About 9,000 displaced residents were staying in evacuation centres as of Wednesday, while more than 30,000 households remained without electricity.

The conditions in the centres are becoming an additional concern as temperatures rise. Forecasts indicate that temperatures in the prefecture could reach 39C in the coming days, prompting authorities to urge evacuees and rescue workers to take precautions against heatstroke.

One evacuation centre housing about 1,000 people has reported several residents experiencing symptoms similar to heatstroke, with some taken to hospital. About 30% of those staying at the facility are senior citizens.

The centre had been without electricity and water since the earthquake and had no air conditioning until Wednesday afternoon, when a generator was brought in.

Japan’s defence minister Shinjiro Koizumi said Wednesday that 300 air conditioners would be delivered to Kumamoto, with 150 destined for evacuation centres.

At the same time, thousands of rescue personnel have been deployed to search damaged buildings for people who may still be trapped.

One of the worst-hit sites is an Aeon shopping centre in Kashima, where part of the second floor collapsed. An explosion struck the mall about an hour after the earthquake, adding to the damage and complicating rescue operations.

The president of Aeon said in a BBC report that it was “very likely” a gas explosion, although the cause of the blast remains under investigation.

Rescuers have been digging through the rubble at the shopping centre as they continue their search. A cat cafe inside the mall said Wednesday that all 25 cats left behind during the earthquake had been safely rescued.

The shopping complex had reopened only last month following renovations. It had previously been damaged during a series of powerful earthquakes in April 2016 that killed 278 people in the region.

Rescue teams are also searching a Nippon Paper factory in Yatsushiro city, where at least five people died after part of the facility collapsed during the earthquake.

Nippon Paper said Wednesday that 11 people had been trapped inside the building and that seven had been rescued.(MyTVCebu)