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Japan Earthquake: Survivors Sought in Rubble as Death Toll Rises to 13
🇵🇦 Panama /Disasters & Emergencies

Japan Earthquake: Survivors Sought in Rubble as Death Toll Rises to 13

From TVN Panamá · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Ongoing story
  • Rescue efforts are underway in Japan after a powerful 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck the southwestern prefecture of Kumamoto, killing at least 13 people.
  • The quake caused widespread damage, including collapsed buildings, fires, and explosions, with a massive blast occurring at a shopping center.
  • Tens of thousands of people have been evacuated, and authorities are searching for survivors amidst the debris, with concerns about ongoing aftershocks and infrastructure damage.

Rescue teams are desperately searching through the rubble of a Japanese shopping center for survivors following a powerful 7.1 magnitude earthquake that has claimed at least 13 lives. The tremor, which struck the southwestern island of Kyushu on Tuesday, triggered widespread devastation, including collapsed homes, fires, and a significant explosion at the Aeon Mall in Kashima.

The cause (of the explosion) is being investigated, but possibly it was caused by gas.

— Keiji OhnoExecutive of Aeon, commenting on the explosion at the shopping center.

At the Aeon Mall, three people were confirmed dead, three are missing, and one suffered cardiac arrest. An executive from the mall's operating company suggested a gas leak likely caused the massive explosion that occurred about 50 minutes after the main earthquake. Meanwhile, at a Nippon Paper Industries factory in Yatsushiro, a chimney collapse resulted in five confirmed deaths and four missing individuals, with nine more unaccounted for at the site.

It was the most violent earthquake I have ever felt. Walls and windows were damaged. The main door, declared a national cultural heritage, collapsed.

— Kanzo MatsumotoManager of a hot spring hotel in Yatsushiro, describing the earthquake's impact.

Authorities have mobilized a large contingent of police, firefighters, and soldiers to aid in the rescue operations. Over 9,000 people sought refuge in evacuation centers overnight. The earthquake, which registered the highest level on Japan's seismic intensity scale, also caused damage to infrastructure, including roads and train lines. Local residents described the quake as the most violent they had ever experienced, with one hotel manager lamenting the destruction of a culturally significant building and fearing a severe impact on tourism.

The water supply is cut off and we are no longer accepting guests. I fear it will have a great impact on our tourism.

— Kanzo MatsumotoHotel manager in Yatsushiro, expressing concerns about the aftermath of the earthquake.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by TVN Panamá in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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