World : Quake-Hit Residents In Japan's Kumamoto Begin New Life In Temporary Housing

Residents of Hikawa town in Kumamoto Prefecture, southwestern Japan, started moving into emergency temporary housing on Saturday, September 5, following a devastating earthquake in late July. The 7.1-magnitude quake struck the area around 4:27 p.m. on July 28, causing significant damage and resulting in a seismic intensity level of 7, the highest on Japan's seismic scale.

The town authorities constructed 20 makeshift housing units to provide relief to those affected. A ceremony to hand over the keys to the temporary homes took place on Saturday morning, attended by Kumamoto Governor Takashi Kimura and Hikawa Mayor Kazuomi Fujimoto. The event included a moment of silence in memory of the quake victims.

Hikawa Mayor Kazuomi Fujimoto expressed the town's commitment to supporting reconstruction efforts and helping residents return to their normal lives as soon as possible. Governor Takashi Kimura pledged solid support in collaboration with the town. Takahiro Miyagawa, a 73-year-old resident who received the keys on behalf of the new occupants, had been living in a relative's house since the earthquake destroyed his home.