Death Toll From Kumamoto Earthquake Rises to 34, Including 8 at Paper Mill and 7 at Shopping Mall

The death toll from the strong earthquake that struck Kumamoto, Japan, on the 28th has risen to 34, Kyodo News and NHK reported, citing figures compiled by Kumamoto Prefecture.

The casualties include 8 deaths at the Nippon Paper Industries Yatsushiro Mill and 7 deaths at the large shopping center AEON Mall Kumamoto, where a partial building collapse followed an explosion.

A man who was working at AEON Mall Kumamoto and managed to escape the building just before the explosion told the Yomiuri Shimbun, "After evacuating customers, I went back inside about 30 minutes later to get my personal belongings, and a smell like something rotting was overwhelming."

Regarding the cause of the accident at AEON Mall Kumamoto, authorities have raised the possibility that liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) used in air conditioning facilities or restaurants leaked through pipes damaged by the earthquake and subsequently exploded.

Aside from AEON Mall and the Nippon Paper mill, fatalities have been confirmed in Uki, Kosa, and other areas.

The Japanese government stated that with 48 hours having passed since the earthquake and extreme heat making conditions difficult for survivors and rescue workers, it is striving to rescue as many people as possible within the critical 72-hour window.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said, "Rescuing lives has become a race against time," adding that the government will do its utmost in rescue operations.

In areas heavily affected by the strong earthquake, such as Yatsushiro, firefighters began thoroughly searching houses one by one alongside rescue dogs starting this morning, according to the Asahi Shimbun.

At around 420 evacuation centers in Kumamoto Prefecture, 10,000 residents continued to live in shelters.

As of this afternoon, about 95,000 households in areas such as Uki—which recorded a maximum intensity of 7 on the Japan Meteorological Agency's seismic scale—remain without tap water supply, while blackouts and communication disruptions persist.

In response to reports that residents opting to stay in their cars instead of their homes due to concerns over aftershocks or secondary collapses are struggling to secure fuel such as gasoline, Chief Cabinet Secretary Kihara said, "We are working to secure fuel supplies by asking the petroleum industry to dispatch tank lorries to Kumamoto."
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.