Japan quake death toll hits 35 as auto and chip factories suspend productions

Rescuers in Japan's Kumamoto Prefecture continued their search for victims following a powerful 7.1-magnitude earthquake, as the death toll climbed to 35. Sniffer dogs were deployed for a final sweep of a shopping mall damaged by an explosion that occurred after the tremor, with officials confirming that 11 people were recovered from the site, including seven deceased.

The earthquake caused widespread devastation, flattening homes, damaging infrastructure, and triggering fires. The blast at the Aeon mall, suspected to be a gas explosion, occurred over an hour after the initial quake. At another major disaster site, a paper factory, nine bodies were recovered, and search operations have concluded. The tremor has left tens of thousands of residents without essential services, facing temperatures expected to reach 40°C this weekend.

As of Friday, approximately 4,500 households in Kumamoto were still without electricity and 79,000 households lacked water. Around 5,100 military personnel have been mobilized to aid in relief efforts, with thousands of residents, particularly the elderly, seeking refuge in evacuation shelters to escape the heat. The disruption has also halted production at key auto and chip factories, highlighting the vulnerability of Japan's manufacturing supply chains.

Amidst the recovery efforts, a small piece of good news emerged as 25 felines from a "cat cafe" located inside the damaged mall were safely rescued and transferred to Hiroshima, eliciting widespread relief on social media.

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At the Aeon mall, 11 people were pulled out as of last night, among them seven dead. To make sure that no one else is inside, we are finalising our confirmation with the assistance of professionally trained dogs.