A 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck near the southern Japanese city of Kumamoto, killing at least 13 people and injuring many more. The quake knocked out power to thousands of homes and ruptured roads across the region.
Rescue Efforts Underway
Rescuers pulled eight people from the rubble of a partially collapsed shopping mall early on Wednesday. Two women in their 20s were killed as an apparent explosion of unknown origin ripped the mall apart about an hour after the earthquake.
Emergency fire rescue teams, police, and army personnel are focusing on areas of the building where calls for help had been received. The full extent of the disaster remained unclear, with around 20 to 30 mall workers unaccounted for on Tuesday.
Hospitals were reported to be treating dozens of patients, with some major companies suspending operations at their plants in the area. The quake’s epicentre was about 20 kilometres south of Kumamoto City, central Kyushu’s largest city with a population of around 700,000.
Authorities have warned residents in the areas that felt the biggest tremors to be on alert for further strong quakes for about a week, as well as for the risk of landslides. With more than 36,000 homes still without power, authorities are worried about the risk of heat stroke as temperatures soar.
Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
