Earthquake Kills 9 in Southern Japan and Hundreds Injured

Earthquake Kills 9 in Southern Japan and Hundreds Injured

Takeshi Hasegawa and Sawako Uchida

Modern Tokyo Times

It is known that at least nine people have perished after a potent earthquake struck southern Japan. On top of this, hundreds have been injured and it is possible that the final death toll may increase. Therefore, search and rescue workers are focusing heavily on collapsed buildings.

At the same time, it is known that thousands of local people were forced to stay out at night in Mashiki. This is because of major structural damage along with many homes collapsing because of the 6.2 magnitude earthquake (some stress 6.4 magnitude) that hit Kyushu. The town of Mashiki is located in the vicinity of Kumamoto city.

Immediately the government sent military troops to help the situation. Yet, just like search and rescue teams, powerful aftershocks have hampered early operations. Despite this, the government is focused on helping people quickly based on past experiences.

The BBC reports “The two Sendai nuclear reactors on Kyushu were operating as normal while the three Genkai nuclear reactors still in operation were already closed for routine inspection.”

Initial reports stress that approximately 38,000 homes have been left without any gas supplies. Similarly, over 15,000 homes have no electricity supply. Therefore, with many homes being destroyed, it is imperative that emergency support is targeted quickly in order to help the most vulnerable.

Currently, many individuals are worried about more aftershocks.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-36045140