Kumamoto earthquake death toll rises to 34 as 72-hour rescue window closes
Rescue teams in Kyushu, Japan race a closing 72-hour window as the Kumamoto quake death toll climbs to 34. Seven died when an explosion brought down a mall in Kashima; eight died at a paper mill in Yatsushiro. Power and water remain cut for tens of thousands. Per Japan Times.
The death toll from Tuesday's magnitude 7.1 earthquake in Kumamoto, on Japan's southern island of Kyushu, has climbed to 34, according to the Japan Times, as rescue crews approach the critical 72-hour window for finding survivors. Seven of the deaths came when an explosion collapsed a shopping mall in the town of Kashima. Eight more died at a Nippon Paper Industries mill in the city of Yatsushiro. Across Kyushu, the quake destroyed homes, damaged bridges, sparked fires, and cut power and water service for tens of thousands of residents. The mall and mill deaths stand out because they show commercial and industrial buildings, not only older private homes, proved fatal in this quake. For the tens of thousands still without power or water, the closing rescue window matters more right now than anything officials say about long-term recovery.