Rescue teams face ‘race against time’ in search for trapped survivors as death toll in Japan rises to at least 13 – live updates

Rescue teams are in a desperate race against time to find survivors in southern Japan following a powerful 7.1 magnitude earthquake that struck the Kumamoto area. The quake has left widespread devastation, with collapsed buildings and severely damaged roads hampering rescue efforts.

At least 13 people have been confirmed dead, and many more are reported missing. The Japan Meteorological Agency measured the earthquake at magnitude 7.1, while the US Geological Survey reported it as 6.8. Emergency workers are digging through rubble in a critical search for those still trapped.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi emphasized the urgency of the situation, stating that rescue workers face a “race against time” to reach trapped individuals. "We will go all out to find and rescue as many people as we can," she pledged.

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We will go all out to find and rescue as many people as we can.

Significant incidents include the rescue of eight people from the rubble of a partially collapsed Aeon shopping center near Kumamoto city, which reportedly experienced an explosion about an hour after the earthquake. Four workers at the shopping center remain unaccounted for. Another seven people are missing at the Nippon Paper Industries factory, where a chimney collapsed. While four people were rescued from the paper mill rubble, two sustained serious injuries.

In addition to the human toll, the earthquake has caused significant infrastructure damage. Nearly 37,000 homes are without electricity, and 9,500 homes lack gas. Communication networks are also down in some areas. Over 9,000 people have been displaced and are staying in more than 500 shelters.

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I thought a bomb had gone off.