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The death toll of waves of major quakes that hit Kumamoto Prefecture in southwestern Japan last week reached 48 and three are still missing, according to local authorities on Wednesday, while sufferers' health problems are highlighted as 11 died from so-called "quake-related death."
The latest victim was found in Minamiaso village which was hit by the powerful earthquakes and secondary disaster of serious landslides. Rescue works are still underway to look for the three missing people.
A strong quake measured at 6.5 magnitude rocked Kumamoto late Thursday, claiming nine lives in Mashiki town in the prefecture and damaging a number of buildings, including the Kumamoto Castle, one of the Japanese national heritage site. The quake marked the first one that logged at level 7 on Japan's seismic intensity of 7 since the monstrous 9.0-magnitude quake in March 2011 that hit off northeastern Japan.
A 7.3-magnitude earthquake jolted the same area early Saturday and ruined most buildings that were damaged in the quake last Thursday. The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) confirmed later that the 6.5-magnitude quake was a foreshock of Saturday's temblor.
Over 8,700 buildings are partially or totally damaged during the quakes in Kumamoto Prefectures, prompting over a hundred of thousand local residents taking shelters at 660 public facilities around the region.
As of 2:00 p.m. local time Wednesday, over 700 aftershocks occurred since late Thursday, including over 80 measured above level 4 on Japan's seismic system of 7, the JMA said, adding that quakes are unlikely to stop soon.
The weather agency also warned that heavy rainfall of between 40 and 50 millimeters per hour is to hit Kumamoto and Oita on Thursday and the torrential rain may escalate risk of landslides in the quake-affected area and make rescue work more difficult.
Beside the 48 victims who died directly in the quake and landslides, 11 people were found dead after the disaster due to health condition worsening in shelters and huge mental pressure, which is known as "quake-related death" here. About 3,400 people lost their lives in the five years after the Tohoku earthquake.
The quakes also destroyed expressway in Kyushu region and bullet train services are partially suspended. Kumamoto prefectural airport reopened Tuesday for commercial airlines.
Crippled transportation system triggered food, water and gasoline shortage in the quake-hit Kumamoto. Many people queued outside supermarkets and many sufferers in shelters posed huge words of "water" and "food" on the roof or playground so that the rescue choppers could see from above, according to Japan's public broadcaster NHK.
