Record heat bakes Kumamoto residents displaced by quake

Temperatures in Kumamoto Prefecture soared above 40 degrees Celsius for the first time ever on Monday, heightening the challenges faced by residents still reeling from a devastating earthquake that struck the region on Tuesday. In Kumamoto City, the temperature reached a scorching 40.3 degrees Celsius in the afternoon. With over 8,500 people residing in evacuation shelters following the magnitude 7.1 earthquake, the highest level on Japan's seismic intensity scale, the prefectural government has initiated plans to relocate them to hotels and other lodging facilities in Uto, Uki, Yatsushiro, and Hikawa for secondary evacuation.

The prefectural government has issued leaflets at current evacuation centers, informing residents that they are eligible for such secondary evacuation facilities. Relocation is anticipated to commence on Tuesday. Governor Takashi Kimura assured reporters on Sunday that preparations are underway to facilitate evacuees' relocation as swiftly as possible.

To alleviate the temporary housing shortage, 50 makeshift housing units will be constructed in Uki, and 20 in Hikawa, both areas that suffered significant damage. These accommodations are expected to become operational in September or later. As of Monday morning, the official death toll from the quake stood at 38, including cases under investigation that may be linked to the disaster.

The victim count includes a 70-year-old woman who may be the first known casualty directly related to the latest disaster, succumbing to heatstroke. A total of 4,622 homes have been damaged, and water supply disruptions have affected 46,700 households. Currently, 8,556 individuals are housed in 206 evacuation centers across the region.

Some evacuees are utilizing their personal vehicles for transportation. In Hikawa, the town has begun accepting debris from the disaster at a makeshift collection site. Akio Hatano, an 80-year-old resident, arrived early Monday morning with broken pottery and shoji sliding screens, expressing relief at the opportunity to clear his home but acknowledging the extensive cleanup process ahead.

A 71-year-old man from Hikawa brought in various damaged furniture items, including a shelf and a chest of drawers, lamenting that his home remains in disarray.