Hope dwindles for rescue in southwestern Japan quake as death toll climbs to 23
A 7.1-magnitude earthquake in southwestern Japan has resulted in at least 28 deaths and widespread infrastructure damage. Rescue efforts are ongoing as thousands remain in shelters without basic utilities amid extreme heat.
Why it matters
The disaster highlights the ongoing vulnerability of even highly prepared nations to major seismic events and the secondary health risks posed by extreme weather.
KUMAMOTO, Japan — Rural communities in southwestern Japan were struggling to get their lives back to normal Thursday, two days after a powerful earthquake set off an explosion at a mall, toppled a factory chimney and flattened homes, killing at least 23 people.
Time was running out to find survivors, as rescuers continued to work in the Kumamoto area on Japan 's southern main island of Kyushu, where the magnitude 7.1 earthquake hit Tuesday.
The number of those missing was unclear. The quake left at least 63 people injured, five of them seriously, the Kumamoto prefectural government said.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara, speaking to reporters Thursday, gave a higher number for the death toll at 28. That came from a police tally, he said, which includes cases still under investigation. Some of those cases may later turn out to be unrelated to the earthquake.
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