TOKYO - The death toll from the powerful Kumamoto earthquake rose to 30 as of 12:30 p.m. on July 30, including people whose deaths were still being investigated for a possible connection to the disaster, while rescue crews continued searching collapsed buildings and other damaged sites.
The prime minister announced the updated toll at a meeting of the government's emergency disaster response headquarters, saying large numbers of injuries and extensive damage to buildings had also been confirmed.
The prime minister offered condolences to the victims and their families and expressed sympathy to everyone affected by the earthquake.
Police, firefighters, the Self-Defense Forces and the Japan Coast Guard were continuing rescue operations around the clock, with the government urging them to give top priority to people still awaiting help.
A local disaster response headquarters will be established at the Kumamoto prefectural government office to coordinate closely with affected municipalities and accelerate emergency measures.
The government instructed ministries and agencies to secure essential supplies and restore electricity, water and other infrastructure while responding to changing needs in the disaster area.
Around 420 evacuation centers had been opened, sheltering approximately 9,800 people.
The disaster has severely disrupted essential services across Kumamoto Prefecture, with around 95,000 households without running water. Power outages, suspended gas supplies and communications disruptions have also been reported.
Shinkansen and conventional railway services have been suspended on some routes, while sections of expressway remain closed, leaving residents facing increasingly difficult living conditions.
Temperatures in the affected area have exceeded 35 degrees Celsius, and intense heat is expected to continue through the weekend, increasing the risk of heatstroke among evacuees, rescue workers and people sleeping in vehicles.
The government said improving conditions at evacuation centers had entered a critical stage. Mobile power-generating vehicles have been dispatched to provide air conditioning, but officials said the restoration of electricity and gas infrastructure must be accelerated.
Kyushu Electric Power and utility companies from across Japan were carrying out repair work, and Kyushu Electric was expected to present an outlook for the early restoration of electricity in affected areas on July 30.
The government called for power-generating vehicles to be deployed to locations where they were most urgently needed and instructed authorities to coordinate with transport officials and police to ensure access.
Water utilities were also receiving expanded support from around the country as crews worked to identify the causes of supply disruptions and provide a timetable for restoration.
The prime minister ordered a further increase in water deliveries, particularly to reduce the risk of heatstroke. The Self-Defense Forces, Japan Coast Guard and transport authorities were among the organizations providing water, with additional tanker trucks being sent from other parts of Japan.
The Self-Defense Forces were also instructed to expand bathing services for evacuees.
Officials said many residents were continuing to sleep in their cars because of fears of aftershocks or conditions at evacuation centers. The government called for fuel supplies to be maintained so people could use vehicle air conditioners without hesitation.
A fuel depot in Yatsushiro was expected to resume shipments on July 30 following restoration work, raising its projected supply capacity to four times the previous level.
Authorities were instructed to secure overland transport routes and ensure sufficient gasoline and other fuel reached disaster-hit communities without delay.
Many convenience stores in affected areas remained closed, making it difficult for residents to obtain food, drinks and daily necessities.
The government called on officials to work with convenience store operators to restore power, improve the movement of supplies and reopen outlets while making employee safety the highest priority.
The latest figures represent a sharp rise from the 12 deaths and six people in cardiac arrest previously reported during the first full day after the earthquake.
Emergency crews had been carrying out rescue work at around 10:30 a.m. on July 29 at a collapsed home in Hikawa, Kumamoto Prefecture, where the earthquake registered the maximum seismic intensity of 7.
A married couple who lived in the house were found, but the elderly husband was confirmed dead.
At Aeon Mall Kumamoto, where an explosion occurred shortly after the earthquake, three people were initially confirmed dead and another was found in cardiac arrest. Three employees remained unaccounted for at that time.
More than 24 hours after the earthquake, the extent of the damage became increasingly clear across the prefecture, with collapsed buildings, deeply cracked roads and widespread utility failures.
Yatsushiro Castle Ruins, a local landmark in Yatsushiro, where the quake registered an intensity of upper 6, sustained extensive damage.
A prominent structure at the site collapsed so severely that only its roof remained visible, with a large crack running through the right side.
A person responsible for managing the site said the building did not fall straight down but appeared to slide sharply sideways as it collapsed.
The structure was built 93 years ago and suffered almost no damage during the 2016 Kumamoto earthquakes.
No other major damage was reported in the immediate surrounding area, although some residents had evacuated while others remained in their homes.
Elsewhere in Yatsushiro, the first floor of a three-story building that had housed a traditional Japanese confectionery shop was completely crushed.
A collapsed home blocked one lane of a road in another part of the city.
Deep cracks opened across roads in Uki, Kumamoto Prefecture, which also recorded the maximum intensity of 7. Drivers slowed while passing through damaged sections, and one vehicle became caught in a crack and overturned.
Numerous homes collapsed in Yatsushiro, temporarily trapping residents inside.
A woman who had been inside one damaged building said two people were trapped in a neighboring collapsed structure after the earthquake.
"There were two people inside. I could hear both of their voices," she said. "They were shouting, 'Help us' and 'Call an ambulance.'"
One of those trapped was a man who had been at home with his wife when the building collapsed.
"I tried to escape, but I was in a position where I could not move," the man said. "Pieces of the walls kept falling little by little, and I had no idea what was happening. For a moment, I thought this might be the end. But when the shaking stopped, I could see light from outside and thought we might be able to get out through there. I let my wife go first."
The couple escaped without assistance through a gap in the collapsed building and suffered only minor scratches.
Residents also faced severe disruption to electricity and water supplies.
A woman in Yatsushiro said nothing happened when she tried to turn on the lights.
"What we need most is electricity," she said. "It is so hot, and I am most worried about heatstroke."
Another Yatsushiro resident demonstrated that no water was coming from her tap.
With electricity and water unavailable in some areas, an evacuation center in Yatsushiro distributed water under a limit of two liters per person.
"On the night of July 28, I went to vending machines to buy something, but all the tea and water were sold out," one woman said. "There was nothing, and the stores were closed. This really helps us."
Temperatures exceeded 35 degrees Celsius in Kumamoto Prefecture on July 29, adding to the risks facing residents in evacuation centers, damaged homes and vehicles.
Kyushu Electric Power said around 32,110 households in Kumamoto Prefecture, including homes in Yatsushiro and Uki, were without electricity as of 5 p.m. that day.
Water supplies were cut to approximately 84,000 households across 11 municipalities at that stage, before the number increased to around 95,000.
At a gas station in Yatsushiro, more than 30 vehicles formed a long line.
"It was hot on the night of July 28, so I slept in my car," one man said. "Then I started running out of gasoline. I am worried about what will happen tonight."
Damage was also reported at Kumamoto Castle in Kumamoto's Chuo Ward.
The city government said sections of stone wall had collapsed at 28 locations within the castle grounds.
A man in his 70s who had been walking near Ninomaru Square said the shaking brought back the fear he experienced during the 2016 Kumamoto earthquakes.
"Please, no more," he said.
Restoration work had been underway at the Uto Turret, which was damaged in 2016. The structure is currently enclosed on all four sides and across the top by a temporary protective roof designed to shield its construction materials and components.
Source: TBS
