Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi don tok say di earthquake wey hit Kumamoto prefecture on Tuesday don kill at least 13 people, and plenty pipo still dey wait for rescue. She talk say, “Even now, there are people waiting to be rescued, and this is a race against time. We will marshal all available resources on the ground to save and rescue as many people as possible.”
Di earthquake happun for Tuesday afternoon for Kumamoto prefecture, wey dey for Japan southern main island of Kyushu. Di quake na 6 miles deep, wey make tsunami warnings dey and pipo comot from coastal areas. Di epicentre na about 12 miles south of Kumamoto city, wey get population of about 700,000. Even though dem lift di tsunami warning small time, di quake cause plenty damage for di whole prefecture, including for historic buildings like Kumamoto Castle, wey still dey under repair from another deadly quake for 2016.
Di quake also tear road and leave tousands of homes without power. Officials dey warn residents to dey careful of heat stroke because temperature dey reach well into di 90s. Two women for dia 20s die for di partially collapsed Aeon mall near Kumamoto, while eight other pipo dem pull alive from di rubble. Mall officials say for Wednesday say four pipo still missing and dem dey investigate if gas leak cause explosion. Seven pipo also missing after chimney collapse for Nippon Paper Industries factory for Yatsushiro city, according to Reuters wey cite local government official.
Tousands of soldiers don deploy to help rescue teams for di affected area, while hospitals don treat plenty pipo for injuries. Some of di injured na passengers for Japan high-speed trains, according to operators wey suspend all train services for Kyushu immediately after di quake. Di violent shaking also derail freight train for Yatsushiro station, Japanese public broadcaster NHK report, citing JR Freight Railway Company. Aerial footage from NHK show carriages wey turn upside down next to di track and collapsed pillars of Yatsushiro Shrine.
Bullet trains and some airport operations still dey suspended for Wednesday, while about 35,000 households still dey without power, Kyushu Electric Power say for dia website. Japan meteorological agency warn say more earthquakes fit happen with similar intensity. Dem talk, “For the next week or so, especially the next two to three days, we would like people to watch out for potential earthquakes with a maximum seismic intensity of 7.” According to NHK, dere no be damage for di nuclear reactors for di area. Japan nuclear authority tell International Atomic Energy Agency say Sendai nuclear power plant no damage for di earthquake.
Japan na one of di most earthquake-prone countries for di world, wey dey sit for “Ring of Fire,” where several tectonic plates dey converge, wey trigger many of di world earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
