Thirteen Dead as Japan Launches Massive Operation to Free Quake Victims From Rubble

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi announced on Wednesday that at least 13 people had been killed by the earthquake that hit southwestern Japan, according to an NBC News report. Takaichi told reporters in Tokyo that even now there are people waiting to be rescued and this is a race against time. The prime minister pledged that the government would marshal all available resources on the ground to save and rescue as many people as possible, the NBC News dispatch added. A BBC video report characterised the situation as Japan in a ‘race against time’ to rescue people trapped beneath rubble after quake. Emergency services have concentrated efforts on a shopping mall in Kashima where an explosion may have taken place and on a damaged paper mill, both of which suffered major structural failures during the tremor, NBC News reported. Up to 30 people are believed to be missing at the mall alone while overall missing persons lists stood at 51 by Thursday, a Deutsche Welle update indicated. The quake registered between 6.8 and 7.1 in magnitude depending on the measuring authority and displaced thousands of residents who were moved to emergency shelters, according to BBC data. Local officials warned that the death toll is likely to rise further as search teams reach more inaccessible sites, a Reuters summary noted. Rescue workers continued pulling survivors from debris despite ongoing aftershocks and difficult weather conditions that have complicated operations. The disaster recalls the 2016 Kumamoto earthquakes that also devastated parts of Kyushu and claimed dozens of lives, according to records maintained by the Japan Meteorological Agency. Those earlier events led to stricter building standards that authorities hope will reduce fatalities in the current crisis, a New York Times assessment found. Seismologists have recorded multiple aftershocks since the main tremor, adding urgency to the evacuation and rescue phases. Infrastructure across the affected prefectures sustained heavy damage with reports of fires, power outages and collapsed roads, multiple agency tallies confirmed. The prime minister’s office has dispatched additional assessment teams to coordinate the national response with local governments. Further details on the scale of displacement and long-term recovery needs are expected in coming days as the operation moves beyond the initial 48-hour window.