Japanese PM Takaichi visits quake-hit southern region as cleanup begins in intense heat

More than 46,000 households in Japan's quake-hit Kumamoto Prefecture continue to lack water and thousands of people remain in crowded emergency shelters nearly a week after a magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck the region on July 28. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi made her first visit to the area on Monday as temperatures soared close to 40°C.

The heat exacerbates the challenges of the severe damage, with residents putting out debris and the government constructing temporary housing. Thirty-eight people, including two victims who died of apparent heat stroke, perished in the quake. The region is also grappling with fuel shortages as fuel distribution has been disrupted.