Death toll from southwestern Japan quake climbs to 34
News
KUMAMOTO, Japan — The death toll climbed to 34 from a powerful earthquake in southwestern Japan that set off an explosion at a mall, toppled a factory chimney and flattened homes, the Kumamoto prefectural government said Friday.
The magnitude 7.1 earthquake hit Japan’s southern main island of Kyushu on Tuesday. As search operations entered a 4th day, it wasn’t known how many people remained missing and the scale of the damage to homes across the region was still unclear.
Officials said 34 deaths had been confirmed as related to the disaster, with one more death still under investigation. Dozens of people were injured.
Details
Thousands are without water and power as heat soars
More than 79,000 homes were without water and more than 3,500 without electricity on Friday. Authorities said more than 9,000 people were staying in shelters, where power sources were being added to provide air conditioning.
In the days since the quake, concerns have grown about illness, including from the sweltering heat. Temperatures Friday were due to rise to 36 C (97 F) in Kumamoto city, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency, after stifling 35 C (95 F) heat on Thursday.
Analysis
Searches continue, with the number of missing unknown
Searchers continued to work in the Kumamoto area on Friday, including at the site of the collapsed Aeon Mall shopping center in the town of Kashima, where some of the most serious damage was recorded. The complex was bustling with thousands of people when the quake happened.
The company said about 3,000 shoppers were evacuated to a parking lot before an explosion happened in another part of the mall, where some staff remained working. The mall’s second floor collapsed, trapping people.
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