Japan

Japan Earthquake Live Updates: PM Intensifies Rescue Efforts as Death Toll Climbs to 34, Taiwan Pledges Aid and Sports Community Joins Relief

By Desk Writer

Posted on July 31, 2026

4 min read

japan earthquake live updates

Rescue efforts for the devastated area of the Japanese city of Kumamoto are ongoing for four days after the earthquake. 34 people were killed as a result of the earthquake and over 80 others have been injured, with five of them in critical condition. Higher than usual numbers of response personnel, cooling shelters, air-conditioning units, and emergency water supplies have been deployed by the government led by Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba to assist in the rescue and relief operations as temperatures are projected to hit 36–40°C.

The Search teams are still working on severely damaged locations at the Aeon Mall in Kashima Town and Nippon Paper Industries in Yatsushiro. The deaths following the collapse of a mall in western Sydney and a collapse of a factory chimney took place when seven people perished in the former and nine workers in the latter. Search efforts into collapsed buildings have been ongoing but the chances of finding more survivors have declined, officials admit.

There are still over 9,000 evacuacuees in shelters. About 79,000 homes and households still lack running water and some 3,500 homes lack power supply. Engineers are slowly starting to restore utilities and are checking roads, bridges and the railway network; some sections have reopened and more will reopen in the near future, although the Kyushu Shinkansen will remain shut temporarily in the south.

Japan’s manufacturing industry also has been affected by the catastrophe. Toyota, Aisin, Denso, Nissan, Mitsubishi Motors, Sony, Renesas and Tokyo Electron have announced their closures, and TSMC has restarted production, allowing safety inspections to be completed. The city’s semiconductor production prowess has worried people about the effects it may have on the rest of the supply chain.

As one of the biggest donors to relieving and reconstruction aid, Taiwan President Lai Ching-te announced that the country will provide assistance of NT$100 million. Taiwan pledged support of NT$100 million (roughly US$670,000) for relieving and reconstruction aid, with international support being elevated. Meanwhile, sports organisations throughout Kumamoto have transformed stadiums into temporary support centres and initiated fundraisings joined by athletes and local sports clubs in delivering aid to affected communities.