Kumamoto Quake Leaves 12 Dead as Troops Search for Missing

As search and rescue operations continue following the magnitude 7.1 earthquake that recently struck Kumamoto Prefecture in Japan, the figures for casualties and damage are being updated. According to the latest statistics released by the Kumamoto prefectural government, the death toll from the powerful earthquake has risen to 12 within the prefecture, while another six people are in a state of cardiopulmonary arrest, commonly referred to as OHCA. In addition, four people remain missing. Faced with the severe disaster, the Japanese official authorities and local disaster relief systems are fully mobilized in the hope of rescuing more lives within the golden window of rescue time.

In the search and rescue operations across various locations, the Self-Defense Forces have played a crucial role. Due to mudslides, road collapses, and severe building damage triggered by the strong earthquake, it has been difficult for many heavy rescue vehicles to directly advance into the disaster-affected areas. To seize every possible opportunity, Self-Defense Forces personnel, undeterred by the risk of aftershocks, have been conducting blanket searches deep within the disaster zones on foot. Among them, the local Nippon Paper Industries Yatsushiro Mill has become one of the focal points for disaster relief, where rescue personnel are stepping up their pace to search for survivors and missing individuals among the rubble and damaged facilities of the plant.

This sudden and powerful earthquake has not only caused casualties but also posed a severe test to local infrastructure and industrial economy. Although Japan is a country prone to earthquakes with building seismic standards among the top in the world, facing violent shaking of magnitude 7.1, some older buildings and industrial facilities have inevitably suffered heavy damage. The search and rescue situation at the Nippon Paper Industries Yatsushiro Mill not only weighs heavily on the hearts of the families of the missing employees, but also reflects the potential cascading impacts that the earthquake may bring to the local economic lifeline.

As search, rescue, and recovery operations continue, the restoration of power, transportation, and livelihood supplies in the disaster-affected areas will be the next focus of attention. Meteorological agencies and local governments continue to urge the public to remain vigilant and guard against potential aftershocks and secondary disasters in the coming days. This earthquake has once again highlighted the uncertainty of natural disasters and the importance of disaster preparedness and earthquake resistance, while also testing the resilience and mobilization capacity of Japanese society when facing sudden crises.

(Source: Central News Agency)