Sudden Downpour Worsens Kumamoto Recovery Woes as Typhoon Approaching

[Anchor]

Turning now to the situation in Kumamoto following the earthquake. Recovery efforts have hit a snag as sudden heavy rain lashed the disaster-stricken area, which was already sweltering under a severe heatwave. To make matters worse, a typhoon is now approaching.

Correspondent Mun Junmo reports from Tokyo.

[Reporter]

Rain clouds rapidly blanket downtown Kumamoto.

Soon, thunder rolls alongside a bolt of localized torrential rain.

Roads are submerged in the blink of an eye.

Collapsed houses are left exposed without even a chance to cover them with waterproof tarps.

Residents outdoors hurriedly drape towels over themselves or rush back.

Fierce wind and rain sweep right into the evacuation centers.

["How terrifying."]

Although the rain stopped in less than an hour, it dealt a blow to recovery efforts.

Shops that were in the middle of cleaning up were ruined once again as rainwater leaked inside, and construction workers had to put down their tools with no time to react.

[Yatsushiro Resident: No water is coming out at all. In the dead of summer, on hot days, it is truly like hell.]

Hospitals have opened their doors and resumed consultations, but they remain far from free of the water outages.

[Kumamoto Rosai Hospital Doctor: The biggest problem is water. Without water, we cannot perform surgeries. Restoration is urgently needed.]

There is also growing concern over powerful Typhoon Dolphin, which is currently moving toward Okinawa.

While it will not make direct landfall in Kyushu, the Japan Meteorological Agency stated that it could bring effects such as showers and strong winds starting tomorrow (August 6).

In Kumamoto, where the ground has been weakened, even light rain could trigger further damage.

On the ninth day since the earthquake, the endless evacuation life is daunting, but the psychological shock inflicted on children is an even greater worry.

[Uki Resident: Sometimes the tears just well up now. A week has passed, but they have become even more sensitive to the earthquake, and I am most worried about the children's minds.]

Volunteer efforts have begun to help these children return to a sense of normalcy.

["It is fun because we can watch television, eat meals, and play."]

Having decided yesterday to spend 24.2 billion yen in reserve funds for swift recovery, the Japanese government plans to designate the area as a special disaster zone on August 7 to expand financial support.

(Photo: Yonhap News)

(Reported by Han Chul-min and Moon Hyun-jin | Video edited by Kim Byung-jik)

※