Kumamoto Quake Death Toll Reaches 38

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On August 2, Kumamoto Prefecture announced that the death toll from the earthquake that struck the region on July 28 had risen to 38, including people whose deaths were still under investigation for a possible connection to the disaster.

One of the victims was a woman in her 70s who had been sheltering in her car and was believed to have died of heatstroke.

Eight people were confirmed dead at the Nippon Paper Industries Yatsushiro Mill in Yatsushiro City, while seven died at the Aeon Mall Kumamoto shopping center in Kashima Town, where an explosion occurred. One person who had been missing at the paper mill was found, and rescue efforts were ongoing.

More than 9,000 people have taken shelter at over 400 evacuation centers across the prefecture.

The government had also announced on July 30 that around 70,000 households in Kumamoto Prefecture were without water as of 5:30 AM due to the earthquake. The affected areas included 18,000 households in Yatsushiro, 14,000 in Uki, and 12,000 in Uto. Water outages in Nagasaki Prefecture have been restored.

Water supply trucks were scheduled to be dispatched to affected areas in stages, while local governments worked to speed up restoration efforts.

The powerful earthquake struck at around 4:27 PM on July 28. It had a magnitude of 7.1 and registered the highest level of 7 on Japan's seismic intensity scale in the city of Uki and the town of Hikawa.

Emergency services in the hardest-hit areas received numerous 119 emergency calls reporting fires, collapsed houses, and people trapped beneath collapsed buildings and fallen furniture.

According to the Kumamoto Prefectural Police, about 200 people evacuated AEON Mall Kumamoto after the earthquake struck. An explosion later caused part of the second floor to collapse. Initial reports indicated that 20 to 30 people were unaccounted for.

On the night of July 28, a senior government official said it was too early to determine the cause of the explosion at the mall, where people were believed to remain trapped. However, the official said a leak of liquefied petroleum (LP) gas was one possible cause.

Government Response

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi urged residents in the hardest-hit areas to "take action to protect yourselves, including evacuating to safe locations."

Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said the government would "work closely with local authorities and make every effort to prioritize lifesaving and emergency response operations, with the police, fire departments, Self-Defense Forces, and Japan Coast Guard at the center of disaster relief efforts."

The earthquake struck as Kyushu continues to endure extreme summer heat. The Japan Meteorological Agency has urged people in affected areas to take precautions against heatstroke. 

With many residents expected to remain in evacuation shelters, authorities are also monitoring health risks associated with prolonged displacement. Following past major earthquakes, many disaster-related deaths were attributed to the cumulative physical and psychological stress of extended evacuations.

Warning of Further Quakes

Kumamoto was struck by two devastating earthquakes in April 2016, both registering the maximum seismic intensity of 7. The disaster claimed more than 270 lives, including those from disaster-related causes. In the sequence, the second intensity-7 quake was designated the main shock, while the first was classified as a foreshock.

The Japan Meteorological Agency has warned that additional earthquakes of up to seismic intensity 7 could occur over the coming week. Every possible measure must be taken to prevent further loss of life and limit additional damage.

Earthquakes registering Japan's maximum seismic intensity of 7 have occurred in the 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake, the 2004 Niigata Chuetsu Earthquake, the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, the two 2016 Kumamoto earthquakes, the 2018 Hokkaido Eastern Iburi Earthquake, and the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake.

Author: The Sankei Shimbun

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