Japan Earthquake Deaths Rise to 13

At least 13 people were confirmed dead in Kumamoto Prefecture, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said Wednesday, a day after a massive earthquake pummeled the region.

The toll was expected to rise, with scores still missing following the magnitude 7.1 quake, which also registered up to a shindo 7, the highest level on the Japanese seismic intensity scale, local authorities said, as rescuers continued to hunt for survivors amid rising temperatures.

Takaichi told reporters Wednesday, “I offer my deepest condolences to those who have lost their lives," adding that the government will mobilise every available resource to save and rescue as many people as possible. 

Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara, the government’s top spokesman, told a news conference later Wednesday that as of 8:30 a.m. it had confirmed seven people had been seriously hurt, while 29 had sustained minor injuries. 

At least two of the dead were confirmed at a shopping mall in the town of Kashima, with at least one other feared dead, after an explosion ripped through the building, causing it to collapse. 

Two of the dead at the mall were women in their 20s, and were among eight people who had been discovered in the wreckage of the mall in the town of Kashima, NHK reported. Five others were hurt, but their injuries were not life-threatening.

Yesterday's quake was followed by multiple strong aftershocks into today. Authorities urged residents to remain vigilant for large quakes. 

Nearly 10,000 people in Kumamoto Prefecture had been evacuated as of this morning, authorities said.

Hundreds of people had been injured and transported to hospitals across the prefecture, according to local media.

Source: The Japan Times