Nippon Paper president expresses condolences over deaths at quake-hit plant

Yatsushiro, Kumamoto Prefecture – Nippon Paper Industries President Akira Sebe expressed deep sorrow over the deaths of nine individuals in an accident at the company's plant following a powerful earthquake that struck the region last week. Speaking at a news conference in the city of Yatsushiro, Sebe emphasized that the company is taking the incident extremely seriously and offered heartfelt condolences to the families of the deceased.

Company officials revealed that the tragic collapse of an 80-meter-tall reinforced concrete chimney at the plant in Kumamoto occurred shortly after the magnitude 7.1 earthquake on July 28. The quake, which registered a seismic intensity of up to upper 6 on the Japanese scale, caused significant damage, resulting in the deaths of nine people in a nearby two-story office building.

At the time of the disaster, 414 people were present at the plant, comprising employees from partner companies and clients. Despite rescue efforts, only two individuals managed to be saved from the wreckage. Nippon Paper stressed that the chimney, which had been in operation since 1970, had undergone necessary safety reinforcements following the 2016 Kumamoto earthquakes.

The company affirmed that the structure met all regulatory standards. In response to the accident, Nippon Paper plans to establish an investigation committee consisting of relevant experts to determine the precise cause of the incident. The company has not made any decisions regarding the closure of the plant at this stage. Additionally, on Wednesday, Nippon Paper revised its earnings forecasts for the period ending March 2027, citing the necessity to evaluate the earthquake's impact, which contributed to a consolidated net loss of ¥200 million for April to June.