Japan earthquake toll rises to 34 as Kumamoto mall collapse search goes on

A powerful earthquake in Kumamoto killed 34 people and trapped victims in a collapsed mall and factory site. The disaster has left thousands in shelters, strained power supplies and kept rescuers searching for survivors.The death toll from a powerful earthquake in southwestern Japan has risen to 34, the Kumamoto prefectural government said on Friday. The quake set off an explosion at a shopping mall, toppled a factory chimney and flattened homes.The magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck Japan's southern main island of Kyushu on Tuesday. Officials said 34 deaths had been confirmed as related to the disaster, while one more death was still under investigation. Authorities said on Thursday that more than 80 people had been injured, five of them seriously.More than 3,500 homes were still without electricity, and over 9,000 people were staying in shelters. Power sources were being added at shelters to provide air conditioning, as concerns grew in the days after the quake about illness linked to the sweltering heat.Search teams continued operations in the Kumamoto area on Friday, including at the collapsed Aeon Mall shopping centre in the town of Kashima, where some of the worst damage was recorded. The complex was crowded with thousands of people when the quake struck. The company said about 3,000 shoppers were evacuated to a parking lot before an explosion took place in another part of the mall, where some staff members had remained at work. The mall's second floor then collapsed, trapping people.At the site, seven people were confirmed dead and 11 had been rescued, Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara told reporters in Tokyo on Friday. Authorities did not say how many people were still missing. In the Yatsushiro area, a search operation at a Nippon Paper Industries factory ended after a chimney collapsed in the quake, Kihara said. Searchers rescued 11 people there, while nine others were confirmed dead.With the death toll at 34, thousands still in shelters and rescue work continuing in badly hit areas, the earthquake has left widespread damage and disruption across parts of Kumamoto and Kyushu.With PTI Inputs- EndsPublished By: India Today Web Desk Published On: Jul 31, 2026 08:56 IST