More than 100 aftershocks follow deadly Kyushu earthquake

Japan’s south-western Kyushu island has experienced more than 100 aftershocks since a powerful earthquake struck Kumamoto prefecture on Tuesday, killing at least 13 people. The Japan Meteorological Agency warned residents to expect strong aftershocks of up to seismic intensity 7 over the next several days.

Rescue teams are working in extreme heat to search rubble at a paper factory and the Aeon Mall in Kashima, where a portion of the second floor collapsed and an explosion occurred shortly after the quake. The mall’s president said three people died in the explosion, four were hospitalized and one person was in cardiopulmonary arrest. Three individuals remain missing.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi described the response as “a race against time” and noted that more than 4,600 personnel have been deployed. Defence Minister Shinjirō Koizumi announced that about 300 air-conditioning units would be flown to the hardest-hit areas to mitigate heat-related risks for rescuers and survivors.

The quake, measured at magnitude 7.1 by the Japan Meteorological Agency and 6.8 by the US Geological Survey, had a shallow depth of 10 km and an epicentre roughly 20 km south of Kumamoto city. The tremor caused cracked roads, bridges, fires, suspended train services and widespread power outages.

Local residents described the shock, with one 75-year-old restaurant owner saying she had never experienced such a strong quake in her lifetime.