More than 95,000 homes and apartments in Japan's Kumamoto prefecture, located on the island of Kyushu, remain without water following a 7.1 magnitude earthquake that struck the region on July 28.
According to the Operative Information Center-OMM, this information was confirmed in an official statement by Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. Meanwhile, water supply services have been fully restored in the neighboring Nagasaki prefecture.
Emergency relief efforts are currently underway, with water being delivered to the disaster zone via tanker trucks, supported by units from the Japan Self-Defense Forces. Approximately 4,600 military personnel have been deployed to assist in the ongoing rescue and recovery operations.
Local authorities report that 64 medical facilities in Kumamoto are currently experiencing disruptions to both electricity and water supplies. To accommodate those displaced by the disaster, 415 temporary shelters have been established, currently housing over 14,000 individuals.
Evacuees are primarily being sheltered in school gymnasiums and other public buildings. Concerns are mounting regarding the lack of air conditioning in many of these facilities, which increases the risk of heatstroke amid high temperatures. Meteorological forecasts indicate that temperatures in the disaster zone could reach 40 degrees Celsius, further complicating the humanitarian situation for those affected by the seismic event.
