Rescue teams face ‘race against time’ in search for trapped survivors as death toll in Japan rises to at least 13 – live updates
A powerful 7.1 magnitude earthquake has struck southern Japan, resulting in at least 13 deaths and widespread infrastructure damage. Rescue teams are currently working against time to locate survivors trapped in collapsed buildings and industrial sites.
Why it matters
The disaster highlights the ongoing vulnerability of regions to seismic activity and the critical nature of emergency response operations in Japan.
Emergency workers are continuing their search for survivors in southern Japan after yesterday’s powerful earthquake left widespread devastation, with buildings collapsed, roads severely damaged and emergency teams digging through rubble.
At least 13 people have been killed and many reported missing after the earthquake struck the Kumamoto area on the southern main island of Kyushu with a magnitude of 7.1, according to the Japan meteorological agency. The US Geological Survey measured it at magnitude 6.8.
Collapsed buildings after an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.1 struck Japan’s southern Kumamoto district. The Japanese prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, said rescue workers faced a “race against time” to reach more people still trapped in rubble. “We will go all out to find and rescue as many people as we can,” she said.
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