Kumamoto earthquake claims 34 lives as rescue efforts continue

The death toll from the powerful earthquake in Japan's Kumamoto region has risen to 34, with rescue teams continuing search operations. Thousands remain without electricity or in shelters as authorities respond to widespread damage caused by the magnitude 7.1 quake

Kumamoto (Japan): The death toll climbed to 34 after a powerful earthquake in southwestern Japan triggered an explosion at a mall, toppled a factory chimney and flattened homes, the Kumamoto prefectural government said on Friday.

The magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck Japan’s southern main island of Kyushu on Tuesday.

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Officials said 34 deaths had been confirmed as being related to the disaster, while one more death was still under investigation. On Thursday, authorities said more than 80 people had been injured, five of them seriously.

More than 3,500 homes were still without electricity, and more than 9,000 people were staying in shelters, where additional power sources were being installed to provide air conditioning. In the days since the quake, concerns have grown over illness, including those linked to the sweltering heat.

Search teams continued to work in the Kumamoto area on Friday, including at the site of the collapsed Aeon Mall shopping centre in the town of Kashima, where some of the worst damage was reported. The complex was bustling with thousands of people when the quake struck.

The company said about 3,000 shoppers were evacuated to a parking lot before an explosion occurred in another part of the mall, where some staff members remained at work. The mall’s second floor collapsed, trapping people.

At the site, seven people were confirmed dead and 11 had been rescued, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara told reporters in Tokyo on Friday. Authorities did not say how many people were still missing.

Meanwhile, the search operation ended at a Nippon Paper Industries factory in the Yatsushiro area, where a chimney collapsed during the quake, Kihara said. Search teams rescued 11 people there, while nine others were confirmed dead.