Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said that 13 people were confirmed dead after a powerful earthquake struck the southern Japanese city of Kumamoto.
“There are people who are still waiting to be rescued, and it’s a race against time,” Takaichi said. “We will marshal all available resources on the ground to save and rescue as many people as possible.”
A 7.1 magnitude earthquake hit the Kumamoto area on the southern main island of Kyushu late Tuesday afternoon.
The Japanese PM expressed her condolences to the families of those who died in the quake and extended her sympathies to everyone affected by the disaster.
She also urged residents in the quake-hit areas to prioritise their health and safety, warning them to take precautions against the intense summer heat as rescue and relief operations continued.
The earthquake caused massive damage to the region, leaving thousands of households without electricity.
Emergency responders, early on Wednesday (Jul 29), rescued eight people from the rubble of a partially collapsed shopping mall.
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Japan’s local media reported that an explosion occurred at the Aeon Mall in Kumamoto following the massive earthquake, when the second floor of the building suddenly collapsed.
According to local media reports, authorities are probing a possible gas explosion.
Japan’s top government spokesperson Minoru Kihara said that rescuers reported smelling gas inside the building; however, the cause of the incident was still under investigation.
Police, emergency services and around 170 army personnel concentrated their efforts on sections of the collapsed structure where distress calls had been received.
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Over 4,500 soldiers have been deployed across the quake-affected region to support search-and-rescue operations.
Seven people were also reported missing after a chimney collapsed at Nippon Paper Industries (3836.T), while four others were seriously wounded, news agency Reuters reported, citing a local government official.
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