The death toll from the powerful 7.1-magnitude earthquake that struck southern Japan has risen to 13, as emergency teams continue a desperate search for survivors trapped beneath a partially collapsed shopping mall.
According to Reuters, eight people were pulled from the wreckage of the damaged Aeon shopping mall near Kumamoto after an explosion occurred more than an hour after Tuesday’s earthquake. Three of those rescued later died, while three workers remain missing.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said rescue operations remain a race against time.
“Even now, there are people waiting to be rescued, and this is a race against time. We will marshal all available resources on the ground to save and rescue as many people as possible,” she said.
Authorities said at least 13 people have been confirmed dead, five others are in cardiac arrest and at least eight sustained serious injuries. Dozens more are receiving treatment in hospitals.
Investigators are examining whether a gas leak triggered the explosion at the Aeon mall after rescuers reported smelling gas inside the building.
Elsewhere, five workers died when a chimney collapsed at a Nippon Paper Industries factory during the quake.
The earthquake, which struck about 20 kilometres south of Kumamoto City on Japan’s Kyushu island, has been followed by more than 100 aftershocks. Police received hundreds of emergency calls reporting collapsed buildings and people trapped under debris.
Around 260,000 residents have been advised to evacuate, while more than 36,000 homes remain without electricity and many communities are also without water. Authorities have warned of heat-related illnesses as temperatures climbed to 34°C.
Hospitals near the epicentre have struggled to cope with the influx of casualties, with some suspending admissions because of power outages and overcrowding.
The disaster has also disrupted Japan’s manufacturing sector. Companies including Sony, Honda, Renesas Electronics, Tokyo Electron and Toyota suspended production at several facilities, while TSMC temporarily evacuated workers before gradually resuming operations.
Japan’s Meteorological Agency has warned residents to remain alert for strong aftershocks and possible landslides over the coming week.
Located on the Pacific Ring of Fire, Japan experiences some of the world’s highest levels of seismic activity. The country was struck by another devastating Kumamoto earthquake a decade ago, which claimed 275 lives and caused widespread destruction.
