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Japan earthquake death toll climbs to 18
Al Jazeera··29 Jul
The death toll from a magnitude 7.1 earthquake that struck Kumamoto on Japan's Kyushu island has risen to at least 18, with 62 people injured, six seriously. A shopping mall in Kashima city partly collapsed after a gas explosion trapped shoppers and workers, killing four there, while a factory chimney collapse in nearby Yatsushiro killed five more.
Prism
What It Means For You
- Anyone with family, friends or business ties in Kyushu should note that 260,000 residents were told to evacuate and thousands of homes remain without power.
- Travellers with plans in the region should watch for continuing disruption, since train services, highways and factory operations have been affected.
- Global supply chain watchers should note that chipmakers and automakers with plants near Kumamoto briefly suspended operations after the quake.
What's Happening
- A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck the Kumamoto area of Kyushu, killing at least 18 people and injuring 62, six of them seriously.
- A shopping mall in Kashima city partly collapsed after a gas explosion during the quake, trapping people and killing four at the site.
- Authorities instructed about 260,000 people to move to evacuation centres as tens of thousands of homes lost power and running water.
A Region That Has Rebuilt Before
- A 2016 Kumamoto earthquake killed 275 people and damaged the historic Kumamoto Castle, parts of which were still under repair when they collapsed again.
- Japan sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire and experiences about 20 percent of the world's earthquakes of magnitude 6.0 or greater.
- Companies including Honda, Tokyo Electron and TSMC briefly suspended nearby operations, though TSMC resumed work the same evening as a precaution eased.
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