Now Reading: Japan quake toll hits 28 as survivors struggle in heat
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Japan quake toll hits 28 as survivors struggle in heat
Japanese emergency workers raced to find survivors from a collapsed shopping mall in Kumamoto on Thursday, as the death toll from Tuesday's 7.1-magnitude earthquake rose to 28. Four bodies were pulled from…
The Story in Brief
Japanese emergency workers raced to find survivors from a collapsed shopping mall in Kumamoto on Thursday, as the death toll from Tuesday's 7.1-magnitude earthquake rose to 28. Four bodies were pulled from the rubble of the Aeon mall, which was gutted by a suspected gas blast about 50 minutes after the quake. Five others were confirmed killed and four are missing at the Nippon Paper Industries factory in Yatsushiro, The Hindu reports.
Tens of thousands remain without power and water as temperatures are forecast to hit 38°C this weekend. Around 22,670 households still have no electricity, and 84,000 homes face water disruptions. Many residents, especially the elderly, have taken refuge in shelters. The U.S. Geological Survey measured the quake at 6.8, lower than Japan's reading of 7.1.
The Indian Opinion
The narrative that Japan, with its strict building codes and disaster drills, can handle earthquakes without major loss of life is being tested. While the quake was strong, the real killer here is the heat, people without power or water in a Japanese summer face a slow emergency that gets less attention. The gas blast at the mall was a secondary disaster that caught rescue teams off guard. The question now is how many more elderly or isolated victims will be found as the heat wave continues.
Source: thehindu.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
