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Japan tremor, aftershocks kill 9

Friday, 15 April 2016 12:13 AM [ Last Update: Friday, 15 April 2016 12:17 AM ]

Residents stand in the street following an earthquake in Kumamoto city, Japan, on April 14, 2016. ©AFP

A 6.2-magnitude earthquake has stricken southwestern Japan, killing one person, with the aftershocks later claiming eight more lives.

The Thursday quake hit 11 kilometers (seven miles) east of the city of Kumamoto, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS).

The first fatality was caused by a crumbling building. As many as 761 others also sustained injuries and 400 were hospitalized during the entire calamity, which featured more than 100 aftershocks.

The aftershocks, the largest one of which had a preliminary magnitude of 6.4 according to the Japan Meteorological Agency, were reported to have disrupted rescue efforts.

The government's chief spokesman, Yoshihide Suga, said 44 of the injured were in serious condition and that at least 19 houses had collapsed. He added that some 1,600 soldiers had been deployed for damage control operations.

Firefighters check the damaged area following an earthquake in Mashiki town in Kumamoto Prefecture in southwestern Japan on April 14, 2016. ©AFP

Meanwhile, Tokyo-based Kyodo News reported that some 44,400 people had been evacuated.

"We will do our utmost and carry on with life-saving and rescue operations throughout the night," said Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

The temblor, however, did not cause any tsunami warnings, and the Nuclear Regulation Authority, the country’s nuclear regulator, said there was no cause for concern at three nearby nuclear power plants.

Earthquakes frequently happen in Japan, but a massive trembler in 2011, often referred to as the Great East Japan earthquake or the 2011 Tohoku earthquake, triggered a huge tsunami that caused massive damage and left more than 18,000 people dead or missing in the country’s northeast.

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