As of July 31, four days after the earthquake in Kumamoto, Japan, the death toll has risen to 35, with survivors facing the dual challenges of heat and water shortages.
According to reports from Yonhap News Agency, citing Kyodo News and NHK, Kumamoto Prefecture has confirmed that 35 people have died as a result of the earthquake, including one individual whose death is under investigation for a direct link to the quake. This marks an increase of one from the previous day.
Among the deceased, seven were killed in a major explosion at the Aeon Mall Kumamoto, while nine died in a chimney collapse at the Yatsushiro Nippon Paper Industries factory.
As of 3 p.m. on July 31, there are 9,134 evacuees staying in 374 shelters across Kumamoto Prefecture. Additionally, 1,590 households are without electricity, and over 79,000 households are experiencing water outages. Damage has been confirmed to 1,500 homes so far.
The ongoing heat wave, with temperatures exceeding 95 degrees Fahrenheit, has led to a rise in heat-related illnesses. Local fire authorities reported that 42 residents were transported to hospitals for heatstroke in the two days following the earthquake, starting from July 29. The actual number may be higher as some areas have not yet completed their reports. In a shelter near the epicenter in Hikawacho, an elderly man was reported to have been taken to the hospital with suspected heatstroke symptoms.
The Japanese Ministry of the Environment and the Meteorological Agency have issued a heatstroke warning for Kumamoto Prefecture.
Aftershocks continue to occur. Since the 7.1 magnitude earthquake on July 28, there have been approximately 300 aftershocks registering at magnitude 1 or higher as of 3 p.m. on July 31.
The industrial impact is also significant, with operations at automotive and semiconductor plants in Kumamoto being suspended. Toyota has announced that it will extend the shutdown of three factories in Fukuoka Prefecture until the early hours of August 5. Nissan and Daihatsu have also extended their shutdown schedules until August 5.
Sony Group's semiconductor subsidiary, Sony Semiconductor Solutions, plans to gradually restart operations at its Kikuyo plant in Kumamoto Prefecture on August 4, aiming to return to pre-earthquake production levels by mid-August.
Meanwhile, the Kyushu Shinkansen line, which had been suspended due to the earthquake, resumed operations on the section between Chikugo City in Fukuoka Prefecture and Kumamoto on July 31.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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