Japan Earthquake Death Toll Rises to 34; Thousands Evacuated

Southwestern Japan is grappling with the aftermath of a powerful 7.1 magnitude earthquake that struck Kumamoto Prefecture, claiming at least 34 lives and leaving six others seriously injured. The tremor, which hit late Tuesday, has caused widespread devastation, including collapsed buildings, ruptured roads, and snarled supply chains.

Nearly half of the fatalities are linked to two major incidents: significant structural damage at Nippon Paper Industries' paper mill and a suspected gas explosion at Aeon's shopping mall. The disaster has prompted evacuation orders for approximately 260,000 people across the region.

Emergency earthquake warnings were issued for several prefectures on Japan's southern island of Kyushu, including Kumamoto, Nagasaki, Kagoshima, Fukuoka, Saga, Oita, and Miyazaki. Thousands of homes experienced power outages, and critical infrastructure like roads and bridges suffered damage. Public broadcaster NHK showed images of buildings on fire or collapsed, extensive cracks on roads, and a derailed goods train.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi urged residents to take immediate action to protect themselves, emphasizing the need to evacuate to safe locations. The government is responding to the widespread damage, which includes power outages, fires, and infrastructure collapse, as the affected prefectures begin the difficult process of recovery.

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Power outages and fires have occurred in some areas, and there has also been damage to roads and bridges and the collapse of buildings. Above all, I ask everyone to take action to protect themselves, including evacuating to a safe location.