Japanese emergency teams continue rescue operations after a major earthquake devastates a shopping centre area, with authorities reporting a death toll that rises to between 28 and 30. Across reports, survivors remain trapped or displaced amid widespread damage, while heat conditions add to the risk for people awaiting aid. RTE and IOL describe responders racing to search for remaining survivors at the collapsed mall as thousands cope with “punishing” or extreme temperatures.
The Hindu adds further detail from local officials in Kumamoto, where rescue teams continue extracting bodies from the rubble of the Aeon shopping mall. It reports that four bodies have been recovered from the debris, steel structures and wires, and notes a suspected gas blast following the quake as a possible factor behind the destruction.
While the exact toll varies slightly between outlets—28 in the government tally referenced by RTE and The Hindu, and 30 in IOL—each account emphasizes ongoing rescue efforts, the scale of casualties, and the immediate challenges survivors face, including heat exposure.
