Japan PM says rescue teams race against time after Kumamoto quake kills 13

What happened

• Tuesday – A magnitude 6.8 tremor struck Kumamoto prefecture in southwestern Japan, according to the Businessghana report.
• Wednesday – A second assessment by the Associated Press described the quake as magnitude 7.1, noting that it hit the Kyushu island a day earlier and left at least 62 injured, six seriously.
• Immediate impact – The Aeon Mall in Kashima city, packed with thousands of shoppers, suffered a floor collapse and a subsequent gas explosion that forced the evacuation of roughly 3,000 customers to the parking lot.
• Industrial damage – A chimney collapse at the Nippon Paper Industries factory in Yatsushiro killed five workers, rescued seven, and left four people still believed to be trapped.

Death toll and missing persons

Two outlets report different figures. Businessghana notes that “at least 13 people have been killed,” while the AP story puts the confirmed deaths at “at least 18, including a foreign national.” Both sources concur that several people remain unaccounted for: the mall president said three are still missing, and the prefectural government said four may still be trapped at the paper plant.

Aeon Mall President Akio Yoshida told reporters that “four deaths were confirmed at the mall site” and added, “We take it seriously that an explosion happened and precious lives were lost.”

"We take it seriously that an explosion happened and precious lives were lost,"

Media additions

Akio Yoshida, Aeon President, via AP

In the same vein, a 75‑year‑old restaurant owner recounted to the BBC that the shaking was the strongest she had ever felt and she feared she would die. Her testimony adds a human dimension to the official counts.

Where the damage is most visible

The Aeon Mall’s second floor crumbled, scattering metal and debris across the shopping area. Rescue workers in helmets and masks combed through the wreckage while the heat “heightened worries about the survivors,” as reported by the AP.

In the historic Nuyamazu district, a pair of temple gates dating from the 16th century collapsed despite having been repaired five years earlier. Deputy chief priest Yuki Kiyozumi said she had to crawl on the floor as the shaking “was so violent.”

"I don't even know if or how we can rebuild them again,"

Yuki Kiyozumi, deputy chief priest, via AP

Near Yatsushino, the paper‑factory chimney collapse added industrial casualties to the residential devastation, while aerial police footage showed rows of homes flattened, some even tumbling into a nearby river.

Government and military response

Prime Minister Takaichi pledged an “all‑out” effort, stating, “There are people who are still waiting to be rescued, and it’s a race against time.”

"There are people who are still waiting to be rescued, and it's a race against time,"

Sanae Takaichi, Prime Minister, via AP

The Self‑Defense Forces have been mobilised, working alongside hundreds of firefighters, including a contingent from Taiwan. The federal government is preparing to deliver food and other necessities to the hardest‑hit zones, while urging residents to stay hydrated in the sweltering weather.

Infrastructure and displacement

Almost 34,900 homes remain without electricity and about 15,000 without running water. More than 8,800 people have taken shelter in over 400 temporary locations, where power generators are being installed to provide air‑conditioning.

Transport networks have been disrupted. Bullet‑train services stay suspended, Aso Kumamoto Airport resumed limited operations, but several airlines have cancelled flights as a precaution.

International dimension

The casualties include the first foreign national death in