13 dead in the Japanese earthquake… and the search for survivors continues

Continue Japanese relief teams on Wednesday morning searched for survivors who may have been trapped under the rubble of a shopping center in the southwest of the country following the severe earthquake that killed at least 13 people.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaishi announced on Wednesday that the death toll from the 7.1-magnitude earthquake that struck Tuesday in Kumamoto Prefecture on the island of Kyushu had risen to 13 confirmed deaths.

She told reporters "Serious damage has been confirmed, including casualties and Buildings collapse, fires break out, and damage to roads"

A prefectural official had previously reported to Agence France-Presse that two people were killed in a shopping center whose floors collapsed, noting that another person died as a result of the cessation of heart and respiratory functions.

An explosion occurred in the center located in Kashima, on the outskirts of Kumamoto city, as a result of the earthquake, which may have resulted from a gas leak, which led to the collapse of ceilings and walls in it.

A spokesman for the Eon company, which is investing in the center, explained to Agence France-Presse. That "The explosion occurred after customers and employees were evacuated"

A local official told AFP that eight people were treated, including five wounded. The government indicated that about 130 policemen, 450 firefighters, and 170 soldiers were deployed at the site of the accident.

Initial reports indicated that between 20 and 30 people were still trapped inside, but the police told the channel "NHK" Japanese Wednesday In "This number seems lower"At the same time, confirming that "Some employees are still inside"She explained that the lack of safe passages makes entering the center a difficult task.

The local official told Agence France-Presse that two people suffered a heart attack at the Nippon Paper Factory in the city of Yatsushiro, following the collapse of a chimney at the site.

The local authorities reported that nine other people were still missing in the factory.

The Japanese government announced that more than 9,000 people took shelter in shelters overnight. It also reported that seven people were seriously injured and 29 others suffered minor injuries throughout the affected area.

The earthquake occurred at 7:27 GMT on the island of Kyushu, and its magnitude reached 7.1 according to the Japanese Meteorological Agency, and 6.8 according to the US Geological Survey.

Its intensity reached the highest degree on the Japanese Shindo earthquake scale, according to the Meteorological Agency.
And pictures shown by the channel showed "NHK" Partially destroyed bridges, burned buildings, and overturned freight train cars.