Japan quake toll hits 28 as survivors struggle in heat
A 7.1-magnitude earthquake in Japan has resulted in 28 deaths, with rescue efforts hampered by extreme heat and structural damage. Survivors are struggling in temporary shelters as temperatures reach 38C.
Why it matters
The disaster highlights the vulnerability of aging populations to climate-related heat stress following natural catastrophes.
Japanese emergency workers battled Thursday (July 30, 2026) to rescue any remaining survivors from a devastated shopping mall, as the death toll from a major earthquake hit 28 and thousands sweltered in punishing heat.
The government issued the new tally as Kumamoto officials said they have now extracted four bodies from the mass of rubble, steel and wires of the Aeon shopping mall after a suspected gas blast following Tuesday’s (July 28, 2026) quake.
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At the mall, “we have pulled out 10 people. Of them, four were confirmed dead. Another is without vital signs. Another five have suffered severe and minor injuries”, an official from the disaster management office in the southwestern region told AFP .
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