Prime minister visits quake-hit southern Japan as cleanup begins in intense heat
TOKYO (AP) — Residents in Japan’s quake-hit southwestern prefecture of Kumamoto put out heaps of debris for collection and the prime minister visited as the region baked under intense heat. The heat and a lack of…
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi made her first visit since a magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck Kumamoto Prefecture in southern Japan on Tuesday. The visit comes as the region grapples with intense heat and a lack of water supplies, exacerbating the challenges of the aftermath. Thirty-eight people lost their lives in the quake, including one victim who succumbed to heat stroke while seeking shelter in a car.
Another death remains under investigation. The prefectural officials reported that over 46,000 households are currently without water, and many face fuel shortages amid the sweltering temperatures predicted to reach near 40 C (104 F) on Monday. Emergency shelters, often makeshift and lacking proper cooling, are overcrowded with over 8,500 people, many residing in cars at parking lots and outdoor locations.
The lack of adequate shelter has led to overcrowded conditions, posing risks to sanitation and privacy for those displaced by the disaster.
Written by urgent.news from Associated Press's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.
