"Both electricity and water have been cut off, so there is simply no way we can stay at home, which is why we came to the shelter."

This was said with a rigid expression by Chikushima, 58, whom a reporter met at a designated evacuation center set up in Matsubase, Uki, on the 29th, a day after a strong earthquake struck near Uki, Kumamoto Prefecture.

Having evacuated to the shelter that morning with his 91-year-old mother, he was on his way to the Uki City Hall building right next to the shelter, holding his mother's hand.

They were heading there to use the city hall restroom because using the facilities inside the shelter was inconvenient.

Chikushima recalled, "The shaking felt much longer and more severe than during the earthquake 10 years ago (the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake). Although the exterior of the house did not collapse, everything inside fell over and became messy, and with electricity and water cut off, living there is impossible."

His mother also hid her uneasy expression, saying, "Because of the aftereffects and fear of the earthquake, I couldn't sleep a wink all night."

They expressed their despair, saying, "We have no idea when we will be able to return home."

The situation was no different for other residents gathered at the shelter.

Many residents newly sought out the shelter on this day due to water and power outages caused by the earthquake the previous day.

Kai, a 71-year-old woman who lives alone, sighed and said, "I experienced a major earthquake 10 years ago, and now this has happened again. Living alone, the sense of terror when facing such a disaster is much greater."

On this day, the entrance to the Matsubase evacuation center was busy with residents who had just arrived and officials busily moving boxes of relief supplies.

In front of the door, blankets and wheelchairs were placed for residents to use, and a notice hung reading, "Please let us know if you need milk, daily necessities, masks, or diapers."

Behind it, a notice was also posted announcing that electricity had been restored in some areas.

However, the shelter environment could hardly be described as comfortable.

Originally used as a civic center, the facility had access to the second floor restricted, leaving only the first-floor lobby open.

Residents were taking a rest by spreading straw mats or sleeping mats on the floor.

The number of residents staying at the shelter reached about 500, but the first-floor lobby looked too narrow and crowded to accommodate them all.

Moreover, a sign reading "No Restroom Use" was posted at the entrance of the shelter, leaving residents in a situation where they had to use external restrooms such as the city hall building.

It was reported that in some evacuation centers, residents were left exposed to extreme heat exceeding 35°C (95°F).

Kyodo News reported that the air conditioning broke down temporarily that same day at a shelter set up in the Otago Community Center in Yatsushiro, Kumamoto Prefecture.

It was also reported that some designated evacuation centers failed to open properly.

Due to such conditions and concerns over privacy, many residents reportedly chose "car-camping" (sleeping in cars).

Perhaps because so many people chose to sleep in their cars, gas stations all over Kumamoto had endless lines of cars waiting to refuel.

It remained uncertain when electricity and water supplies would return to normal.

Kyodo News reported that as of the night of the 29th, water and power outages continued in various affected areas, prompting local governments and power companies to rush their responses.

Train operations also faced an uncertain schedule for normalization.

JR Kyushu stated that it was taking time to assess damage along the Kyushu Shinkansen section between Kumamoto Station and Kagoshima-Chuo Station, making it difficult to set a resumption time for operations.

(Photo: Yonhap News)