After the devastating 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck Kumamoto Prefecture one week ago, the government has begun a new phase of recovery, with the aid package for the prefect decided last week and totaling ¥24.2 billion ($160 million). The money would go toward speeding up the reconstruction, repairing damaged infrastructure, and aiding thousands of disaster-devastated residents that have yet to recover.
Yesterday, Japan’s prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, was the first political official to visit the disaster-stricken areas since the earthquake, holding discussions with relief workers and those evacuated to shelter. At the time of the visit, she stated that the disaster would be categorized as “extreme severity,” giving the central government more financial aid in the areas of reconstruction of houses, roads, public facilities, and various services.
The death toll has climbed to 38, and over 100 are still injured. Rescues have mostly been wrapped up, but authorities are still carrying out damage assessments throughout Kumamoto, with more than 12,000 buildings reportedly having been impacted. There are still over 8,000 people remaining in the evacuation shelters and some thousands of households are still experiencing water shortages, although significant efforts have been made to restore utilities.
Efforts are beginning to get underway with some sections of the Kyushu Shinkansen, Kumamoto Airport, and some major routes reopening. But officials have told of the slow pace of road and public infrastructure restoration that will take “weeks”. The government is also actively working on increasing the amount of water supplies, cooling shelters and medical assistance available for evacuees, in view of the imminent threats from extreme heat during the summer.
The assistance from volunteers has also greatly increased such as the Japanese who have come in from all over Japan to help with debris clearance, relief supplies and elderly residents. Help from foreign nations is also increasing such as from Taiwan in nurseries and vulnerable communities. In the meantime, authorities have called for exercising caution in relying on the verified information, as false earthquake videos started spreading.
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