In Japan, a devastating 7.1-magnitude earthquake hit the country’s south-western Kumamoto Prefecture in southern Kyushu, killing at least 13 people, injuring hundreds and trapping people under collapsed buildings. One of the strongest tremors in recent years, unleashed the devastating effects, sparking emergency rescue operations of unprecedented scale in the country.
Police, fire and more than 4,500 personnel from Japan’s national security Self-Defence Forces are still searching for survivors as Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi declared a “race against time” for the rescue efforts. The next few hours are crucial as rescuers work tirelessly to reach people still caught under rubble, authorities have warned.
One of the most affected areas was an Aeon mall in Kashima Town where the sky facing side of a multi level building collapsed prior to a possible gas explosion on the roof of a building. 8 people survived while 2 women in their 20s lost their lives. Rescue crews keep looking for scores of workers who reportedly were trapped inside.
The tremor hurt industrial facilities as well as, Niagara region of a Nippon Paper plant where a chimney collapsed and several workers are missing. In addition to the cracking of major highways, bullet train services were disrupted and power was off for several tens of thousands of homes. Safety checkup measures have been implemented, temporarily shutting down the operations at the semiconductor manufacturers, such as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) and Tokyo Electron.
Medical facilities throughout Kumamoto had trouble taking in hundreds of casualties, with some of the hospitals running on emergency basis due to the loss of power. More than 260,000 people in Kumamoto and Nagasaki prefectures have already been ordered to head to evacuation shelters, and the Japan Meteorological Agency is still soundly warning residents of the area of the quake’s epicenter to watch for aftershocks and the possible landslides that would come with them over the next few days.
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