Residents in Japan's quake-hit southwestern prefecture of Kumamoto are working to clear debris under intense heat, as Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi made her first visit to the region since a magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck last Tuesday.
The earthquake has resulted in 38 deaths in Kumamoto Prefecture, with officials investigating the cause of one death and noting at least one fatality attributed to heatstroke while sheltering in a car during the sweltering weather. The Japan Meteorological Agency predicted temperatures would reach nearly 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) on Monday.
Cleanup efforts are underway, with residents putting out heaps of debris, broken furniture, and damaged appliances for collection. The construction of temporary housing has begun in the towns of Uki and Hikawa. However, over 46,000 households are still without water, and many are facing fuel shortages. More than 8,500 people remain in emergency shelters, such as converted community centers and school gyms, many of which lack air conditioning. Others are sleeping in cars or outdoors.
Prime Minister Takaichi visited one of the better-equipped shelters, which featured cardboard beds, partitions, and air conditioning. Her visit drew criticism on social media, with some asserting it presented an inaccurate picture of the conditions faced by many displaced residents.
Meanwhile, the operator of a collapsed shopping mall has acknowledged instructing two employees who later died in an explosion to return to the building to secure sales proceeds. Two executives from Habita, a local general store operator with a shop in the Aeon Mall in Kashima, attended the wake of 22-year-old Kurumi Otake. Company sales manager Goji Yuse admitted that the company had asked the employees to retrieve proceeds if possible.
The mall's operator believes a gas leak caused the explosion, which occurred after approximately 3,000 shoppers had evacuated following the quake. However, some employees remained inside. Rescuers recovered five people and the bodies of seven others from the mall site.
To date, the earthquake has injured 114 people across Kumamoto. Approximately 700 homes were destroyed, and over 11,300 buildings sustained damage, according to prefectural authorities.