Explainer · prototype
Kumamoto earthquake: rescue, recovery, and heatwave dangers
A powerful earthquake struck Japan's southwestern Kumamoto Prefecture, triggering an ongoing rescue and recovery operation for affected residents. Cleanup efforts have been complicated by intense heat, with at least one elderly woman dying from apparent heat stroke while sheltering in a car. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi visited the region as residents worked to clear their homes amid difficult conditions. The heatwave affecting Kumamoto is part of a broader record-breaking heat event gripping Japan and the wider Northeast Asia region.
10 developments · Jul 30 → Aug 5
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A blast in a tunnel at an Indian hydropower project leaves 12 dead and 13 missing
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Japan's monkey sensation Punch gets thousands of birthday messages as he turns 1 on Sunday
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Hope dwindles for rescue in southwestern Japan quake as death toll climbs to 25
The Kumamoto prefectural government says the powerful earthquake that hit southwestern Japan earlier this week has now killed at least 25 people