Two days after earthquake in Japan, thousands remain without power, water; 28 dead

The death toll from the powerful earthquake that struck southwestern Japan earlier this week has risen to 30. The 7.1-magnitude quake caused widespread destruction, triggering an explosion at a shopping mall, toppling a factory chimney and flattening homes in the city of Yatsushiro, while also leaving roads cracked and buildings damaged.Emergency responders are in a race against time to rescue people trapped beneath the rubble, as Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has mobilised thousands of military personnel to bolster search and rescue operations.Many of the port city's nearly 58,000 households remained without electricity and running water on Thursday as authorities continued restoration efforts.An official leading the relief operations, Matsushita, said it was too early to estimate when the badly damaged water mains would be repaired, adding that the process could take days, weeks or even months."Because of the ⁠summer heat, ⁠the lack of water is especially difficult," he said, as cited…