United News of Bangladesh

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said 13 people have been confirmed dead after a powerful earthquake struck southwestern Japan, as rescuers continued searching Wednesday for people still missing. A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck the Kumamoto area on Kyushu, Japan’s southern main island, late Tuesday afternoon. “There are people who are still waiting to be rescued, and it's a race against time,” Takaichi said. “We will go all out to find and rescue as many people as we can.” Takaichi expressed condolences to the victims and sympathy to their families, while urging people affected by the quake to take care of themselves amid hot weather. Japan’s Self-Defense Forces joined rescue workers searching for survivors at a badly damaged shopping mall. They also helped deliver water and transport patients. The government is preparing to send food and other essential supplies to areas hit hardest by the earthquake, Takaichi said. The second floor of an Aeon Mall in Kashima town collapsed, trapping people inside, according to the fire department in Kumamoto prefectural capital. Local officials were investigating reports of an explosion that may have been caused by a gas leak. A chimney collapsed at Nippon Paper Industries Co.’s factory in Yatsushiro, trapping people under the debris, the Kumamoto emergency team said. As of Wednesday, seven people were feared trapped. Two survivors and two bodies had been recovered, officials said. The quake-hit area is about 900 kilometers (540 miles) southwest of Tokyo. Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority said no abnormalities were detected at three nearby nuclear power plants. Kyodo News reported that a hospital in Yatsushiro received about 40 injured people, while around 50 others were taken to a hospital in Kumamoto city. Several major manufacturers in Kyushu suspended operations Tuesday but reported no major damage and planned to resume work Wednesday. The runway at Aso Kumamoto Airport was closed, with no immediate information on when flights would resume. A train derailed and fell onto its side at Yatsushiro station, while stone walls at Kumamoto Castle were damaged, Kyodo reported. The castle, a major tourist attraction, was severely damaged by the 2016 earthquake and remains under repair. “The shaking reminded me of the Kumamoto quake 10 years ago, and I was frightened,” said Hiroki Shimoda, an official at Mifune town hall. He said he saw roof tiles from nearby houses fall to the ground. Kumamoto was hit by a devastating earthquake in 2016 that killed at least 50 people. Shinji Kiyomoto of the Japan Meteorological Agency urged residents to remain cautious over the next two to three days because of the possibility of aftershocks.

Japan's northeastern region braced for aftershocks Sunday following an earthquake of magnitude 7.3 overnight that injured more than 150 people, cut power and water, and disrupted bullet train services, with some residents looking weary as they tidied up the mess in their homes and shops.

More than 100 people were reported injured on Sunday after an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.3 struck northeastern Japan late the previous night, causing blackouts, water cuts and bullet train suspensions.