Rescuers battle heat and danger in Kumamoto earthquake aftermath

Amidst the sweltering heat and the constant threat of aftershocks, rescue teams in Kumamoto, Japan, are engaged in a desperate race against time to save lives following a powerful magnitude 7.1 earthquake.

On April 30, amidst the rubble of the Japan Paper Mill's Yatsushiro factory, where a massive smokestack collapsed onto offices, a faint voice called out for help. Rescue workers, initially without full equipment, began digging with their bare hands. Using crowbars to lift concrete debris, they eventually revealed a man trapped between the wreckage. He had been among eight people caught when the smokestack fell.

The operation was fraught with peril. Falling concrete posed a constant danger, and the narrow, steep staircases prevented the easy use of heavy machinery. Despite these challenges, rescue teams, including police, firefighters, and Self-Defense Forces personnel, worked in pairs to remove rebar and concrete. After about an hour, they successfully extracted the man, who had managed to respond to rescuers' calls for help.

"We wanted to use heavy equipment to clear the debris, but the stairs leading to the second floor were narrow and steep, making it difficult to bring in equipment," a Yatsushiro Wide Area Fire Department official told the Kumamoto Shimbun, highlighting the difficulties faced.

The earthquake, which struck on April 28, has resulted in at least 17 confirmed deaths and 5 individuals in cardiac arrest as of April 30. The disaster has also forced over 9,000 residents to seek shelter in approximately 400 evacuation centers across Kumamoto. With daytime temperatures expected to reach 36 degrees Celsius (97 degrees Fahrenheit), the rescue efforts are further complicated by the extreme heat.

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We wanted to use heavy equipment to clear the debris, but the stairs leading to the second floor were narrow and steep, making it difficult to bring in equipment.