Rescuers Race to Reach Survivors as Southern Japan Quake Toll Mounts

Rescue workers in southern Japan continued their search for survivors on Thursday, two days after a powerful earthquake struck Kumamoto prefecture, leaving thousands without power or water in sweltering conditions. The confirmed death toll ranges from at least 17 to 34 across different official reports, according to multiple news outlets.

ABC Australia reported that the Kumamoto prefectural government placed the death toll at 34, while 9,000 people are displaced. That figure was echoed by Deutsche Welle, which added that the prefectural government said one further death was still being investigated as possibly linked to the quake, meaning the toll could rise to 35. However, The Guardian — World placed the figure at 17, as did the South China Morning Post, citing the prefectural government. The Hindu — World reported the toll at 28, with four bodies extracted from the Aeon shopping mall in Kashima town.

Ae highly destructive event, the earthquake has left thousands of homes damaged and many without basic utilities. Nearly 19,000 homes were without electricity, ABC Australia reported, while The Guardian noted almost 35,000 homes were still without electricity and 15,000 without running water. Deutsche Welle put the number of homes without water at more than 79,000, with some 800 households still without electricity.

Thousands of people have sought refuge in shelters. More than 9,000 people were staying in around 400 shelters, ABC Australia reported, echoing figures from Deutsche Welle. In the city of Yatsushiro, many of the roughly 58,000 households were still without running water or power, according to the South China Morning Post, which quoted town official Akio Matsushita expressing concern about the punishing heat.

The earthquake triggered a suspected gas blast at the Aeon shopping mall in Kashima, which has become a focal point of the rescue effort. The Hindu reported that four bodies had been extracted from the mall, with ten people pulled out in total and four confirmed dead. The Guardian — World reported that eight people had been pulled from the rubble, with three deaths. ABC Australia reported that seven people were confirmed dead at the mall site, among 11 people pulled from the wreckage.

Japan is one of the world's most seismically active countries, with the region regularly suffering such tremors.

Key Claims

  • The death toll from the earthquake is 17, 28, or 34, depending on the source.
  • Thousands of residents are without power and water.
  • A suspected gas blast occurred at the Aeon shopping mall.
  • Four bodies have been extracted from the mall; ten people were pulled out in total.
  • Japan is one of the world's most seismically active countries.