Kumamoto Earthquake Fatalities Increase in Japan
Kanako Mita, Noriko Watanabe, and Michiyo Tanabe
Modern Tokyo Times
Kumamoto was struck by a powerful earthquake on Tuesday, with authorities placing the magnitude between 6.8 and 7.1 depending on the measuring agency that hit this prefecture. Sadly, the confirmed death toll of13 people might rise as rescue operations continue. Also, information from some of the hardest-hit areas remains sketchy with some people still being unaccountable for. Accordingly, the full human cost of the disaster is still emerging – and aftershocks are also continuing.
The potency of the earthquake caused destruction across parts of the Kumamoto Prefecture. Kumamoto City, the capital of this prefecture, witnessed damaged roads, buildings on fire, businesses hit, power outage failures, and shoppers scrambling to escape a part collapsed AEON Shopping Mall.
This shopping mall witnessed the convulsions of the earthquake. Accordingly, an explosion – the cause still not fully known – occurred and trapped many people – while the majority could escape immediately due to safety measures.
The BBC reports, “Footage of the shopping centre shows white smoke rising from the building, as people run into the carpark. Large parts of the mall’s exterior have been blown off, exposing the steel beams underneath.”
It is known that at least three deaths occurred in this shopping mall.
The Guardian reports, “The quake’s epicentre was about 12 miles (20km) south of Kumamoto, central Kyushu island’s largest city, with a population of about 700,000.”
Early on Wednesday, another aftershock of the magnitude of 4.1 spread further fear and panic to the people of this region. Hence, rescue workers and others assisting to find survivors and help people who are trapped understand that speed is important.
The Kyushu Expressway split in one part of this major road network. At the same time, a freight train overturned. While parts of Kumamoto Castle was damaged and minor fires added to the reality of what happened to this famous city.
Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae after confirming the deaths of at least 13 people, said: “Even now, there are people waiting to be rescued, and this is a race against time.”
Takaichi continued, “I ask everyone to take action to protect themselves, including evacuating to a safe location.”
Approximately 260,000 were requested to visit evacuation centers while local and central government support entered Kumamoto City and other areas hit in this prefecture.
Over 30,000 homes still have no electricity and damage inspections are needed for homes hit the hardest.
Lee Jay Walker – Modern Tokyo Times analyst – reports, “Officials also believe that at least 10 other people remain missing in the worst-affected districts, although that figure could increase as emergency crews gain access to isolated areas. Local authorities, supported by Japan’s central government, the Self-Defense Forces (SDF), firefighters, police, and medical personnel, are engaged in an intensive search-and-rescue operation while simultaneously assisting thousands of residents whose homes have been damaged or destroyed.”
Al Jazeera reports, “The country experiences thousands of earthquakes every year, as the Pacific, Philippine Sea, Eurasian and North American plates constantly shift against one another.”
CNN reports, “Japan began introducing stronger building codes in the 1980s – which demonstrated their effectiveness in the 1995 Kobe earthquake, which killed more than 6,000 people. Nearly all of the collapsed buildings were built before the new codes came into force, kickstarting a major drive to improve quake resilience, emergency response systems, and retrofitting older buildings to new standards.”
Sadly, for many residents, the latest disaster has revived painful memories of the devastating Kumamoto earthquakes of April 2016, when a series of powerful tremors claimed dozens of lives, injured thousands of people, and caused widespread destruction throughout Kumamoto and neighbouring Oita Prefecture. As aftershocks continue to rattle the region, many families face another anxious period of uncertainty, hoping rescue teams can reach those still missing while fearing that the confirmed death toll may yet rise.
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