The death toll from the powerful earthquake in Japan has risen to 34, while residents and survivors face intense heat amid widespread power outages in several areas.
Foreign news agencies reported on Thursday, 30 Jul 2026 GMT+7, that the death toll from the strong magnitude 6.8 earthquake (revised down from 7.1 previously) in Kumamoto Prefecture on Tuesday has risen to at least 34. Survivors displaced by the disaster are struggling to cope with the extreme heat.
Thousands of rescue workers continue searching for survivors after the earthquake caused widespread damage to homes and power lines. Several deaths occurred when part of the Aeon department store collapsed, followed by an explosion inside the store about an hour later.
Approximately 9,000 displaced residents are currently sheltered at government evacuation centers across various locations, while over 30,000 homes remain without electricity. The current challenge is to keep these people cool and hydrated amid the region's severe heat.
Weather forecasts indicate that temperatures in Kumamoto Prefecture could reach 39 degrees Celsius in the coming days. Authorities have urged survivors and rescue workers to take precautions against heatstroke.
On Wednesday, Japan's Minister of Defense, Shinjiro Koizumi, announced the delivery of 300 air conditioners to Kumamoto, with 150 units planned for installation at evacuation centers.
Yukiya Sanoe, working at one evacuation center, told the BBC that heatstroke is the biggest concern there. The center houses about 1,000 displaced people, approximately 30% of whom are evacuees.
Sanoe added that many people are showing symptoms resembling heatstroke, and several have been hospitalized. Since the earthquake, power and water supplies have been cut off, and the evacuation center lacked air conditioning until Wednesday afternoon when generators were delivered.
The heavily damaged Aeon department store in Kashima city had just reopened in June. This store was also damaged during a series of earthquakes in April 2016 that claimed 278 lives in the region.
Rescue teams continue searching through the rubble of the Nippon Paper factory in Yatsushiro city, where at least five people died after part of the factory collapsed during the earthquake. Of 11 people trapped inside, seven have been rescued.
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Source:bbc