Death toll from Kumamoto earthquake rises to 38

The death toll from the powerful earthquake that struck Japan's Kumamoto Prefecture on 28 July has risen to 38, the prefectural government said on Sunday. When the earth, once considered a reliable foundation, suddenly begins to shake violently, people realise how precarious everything that once seemed solid truly is. The magnitude 7.1 earthquake in Kumamoto came without warning – without the emergency alerts Japan is known for, without time to prepare.

It caught people off guard, and now the death toll is rising as rescuers continue to search through the rubble for those who may still be waiting for help. But even after the tremors subside, fear lingers: aftershocks continue almost daily, and residents are afraid to return to their homes, which could collapse at any moment.

At a disaster response headquarters meeting held on Sunday morning, Kumamoto prefectural government officials announced that 38 people had died, including those whose deaths are still being investigated to determine whether they were caused by the magnitude 7.1 earthquake.

Yatsushiro city is among the hardest-hit areas. Higaki, a resident affected by the disaster, recalls that there were no warnings before the earthquake, and the sudden, violent shaking caught him by surprise. "The shaking was incredibly strong, especially the sideways swaying. And it went on for a very long time. Even worse, we didn't get any earthquake warning at all. No warning whatsoever. The earthquake struck suddenly. We had no time to prepare for anything, not even mentally. The shaking started suddenly and with incredible force. The TV report only came later, and finally they started reporting the earthquake in Kumamoto.

Before that, there was no warning at all. It was terrible," he said. "What worries me most right now is not knowing when the water supply will be restored. Besides, after going through the disaster, you become more and more exhausted, both mentally and physically. So I just hope I don't get sick. That's my biggest fear. Aftershocks continue almost every day, and many of them happen at night," Higaki said.

With damaged homes and almost daily aftershocks, many residents have left their homes altogether. For many elderly people, the car has become a safer option. "There is broken glass everywhere in the house, so it's no longer possible to stay inside. And since the aftershocks continue, we can only sleep in the car. We are not young anymore and can't run anymore, so the car feels safer to us. It's very hot right now.

Temperatures of around 40 degrees Celsius are expected from next week. If it rains, I'm afraid the roof might leak because there are cracks all over it now," said Takero Nishimura. Power and water outages have compounded the already dire situation. Immediately after the earthquake, there was a shortage of food, fuel and other necessities, and petrol became the most pressing problem for those living in their cars.

"Right now, petrol is what everyone is talking about. Whether you're sleeping in your car or driving somewhere, you need fuel. But many petrol stations are closed or running out of petrol. Many people are just gritting their teeth and not driving unless they absolutely have to. Since we're practically living in our cars, we're completely out of fuel now.

Petrol is probably the hardest part of our lives right now," said Akemi Nishimura, another local resident. Medical care has also come under strain. Nishimura described the desperate attempt to help a seriously injured resident on the day of the earthquake. "On the day of the earthquake, several people were hit hard on the head and were seriously injured. They wanted to go to the hospital, but the hospital in Yatsushiro wasn't accepting patients. Later they went to a hospital in Kumamoto, and after a several-hour drive they were told they couldn't be admitted there either. I know hospitals are also struggling, but I still hope that something can be done to improve the medical situation," she said.

Kumamoto Prefecture is located on the island of Kyushu, one of Japan's most seismically active regions. The magnitude 7.1 earthquake was the strongest in the area since 2016, when a series of devastating tremors killed more than 200 people. The Japan Meteorological Agency has warned that more aftershocks are possible in the coming days and urged residents to remain vigilant. The Japanese government has already set up temporary shelters and dispatched additional Self-Defence Forces personnel to help with relief efforts, but remote mountainous areas remain inaccessible to heavy machinery.

As CCTV+ reports, the Kumamoto earthquake has once again reminded us of the fragility of human life in the face of natural forces, and that even in one of the world's most earthquake ready countries, disasters still catch people off guard, demanding not only technology but also human compassion and solidarity.