[Anchor]

Moving on to the news from the Kumamoto earthquake. Sudden downpours hit the disaster-stricken area amid scorching heat, disrupting recovery operations. To make matters worse, a typhoon is approaching.

Our Tokyo correspondent, Mun Junmo, has the report.

[Reporter]

Rain clouds quickly blanket downtown Kumamoto.

Soon, guerrilla torrential rain pours down with thunder.

Streets are instantly submerged in water.

Collapsed houses are left unattended without even a chance to cover them with waterproof sheets.

Residents outside hastily drape towels over themselves or hurry back.

Strong winds and rain sweep even into the evacuation shelter.

["How terrifying."]

The rain stopped in less than an hour, but recovery work suffered setbacks.

A store in the middle of cleanup became a mess again as rainwater leaked in, and construction workers had to put down their tools without time to react.

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

Hospitals have opened their doors and begun medical examinations, but they are not free from the impact of water outages.

[Kumamoto Rosai Hospital Doctor: The biggest problem is water. Without water, we cannot perform surgeries. Recovery is urgent.]

There are also growing concerns over Typhoon Dolphin, a powerful typhoon currently moving toward Okinawa.

While it will not make landfall directly in Kyushu, the Japan Meteorological Agency stated that there could be impacts such as showers and strong winds starting tomorrow.

In Kumamoto, where the ground has been weakened, even a small amount of rain can cause damage.

On the 9th day since the earthquake, the endless evacuation life is daunting, but the psychological shock inflicted on children is also deeply concerning.

[Uki Resident: There are times when tears finally well up. A week has passed, but we have become more sensitive to earthquakes, and I am most worried about my child's state of mind.]

Volunteer efforts have also begun to help these children return to their daily routines.

["I can watch television, eat, and play, so it is fun."]

Having decided yesterday, August 4, to spend 24.2 billion yen in reserve funds for swift recovery, the Japanese government plans to designate this area as a special disaster zone on August 7 to expand financial support.

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