Death Toll Rises to 13 After Magnitude 7.1 Earthquake Shakes Southern Japan

The number of fatalities from a magnitude 7.1 earthquake that struck southern Japan on Tuesday has climbed to 13, according to Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, as the search for survivors intensifies. "There are still people waiting to be rescued, so we are facing a real race against time," the Prime Minister told reporters in Tokyo, assuring that "all available resources" have been deployed.

Since the earthquake struck, the government has acted swiftly to assess the damage, working closely with relevant ministries and agencies. Takaichi highlighted that beyond the human toll, the quake caused building collapses, fires, and damage to road networks, alongside power and water outages. Amidst extreme heat, she urged the public and rescue personnel to take precautions against heatstroke during operations.

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There are still people waiting to be rescued, so we are facing a real race against time.

Earlier reports indicated three deaths, including two from an explosion and collapse at a shopping center in Kashima, where emergency services are searching for about a dozen missing individuals. During the early morning hours, eight people were rescued from the rubble of the Aeon-operated mall, according to NHK, which also reported that over 200 people received medical treatment at local hospitals.

Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi stated that approximately 4,600 military personnel are involved in the earthquake response, with 170 focusing on rescue operations at the partially collapsed shopping center. Additionally, dozens of firefighters and ambulances are at a Nippon Paper Industries plant in Yatsushiro, searching for nine people trapped after a factory chimney split and fell. The earthquake's epicenter was near Kumamoto prefecture, and the Japan Meteorological Agency issued a brief tsunami alert and warned of aftershocks.

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