Japan quake recovery in Kumamoto hampered by extreme heat and water shortages
Japan's prime minister has visited quake-hit areas in Kumamoto prefecture as recovery efforts continue to be strained by extreme heat and shortages of water. The visit came almost a week after a magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck south-western Japan, killing 38 people and causing widespread damage. Officials say the disaster response is now being complicated by conditions that are making life harder for evacuees and local authorities alike.
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The earthquake left more than 46,000 households without water, while more than 8,500 people remain in emergency shelters. Many of those shelters are in converted community centres, school gyms and classrooms, and some do not have air conditioning. Temperatures reached as high as 40C in the south of the country on Monday, raising concern about heat-related illness among people displaced by the quake.
Prime minister Sanae Takaichi flew over the affected areas by army helicopter before visiting one of the better-equipped shelters, which had cardboard beds, partitions and air conditioning. Her visit drew criticism on social media from some users who said it did not reflect the conditions in many other evacuation centres. In her meeting with Kumamoto governor Takashi Kimura, she was told about the "abnormal heat" over recent days and asked for further government support to improve conditions at shelters.
The situation matters because the immediate disaster response is now overlapping with a public health challenge. Residents are dealing not only with damaged homes and debris removal, but also with fuel shortages, limited clean water and the risk of heatstroke. One person is reported to have died of apparent heatstroke while sheltering in a car, underlining how secondary effects can add to the toll after a major earthquake.
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Recovery work is under way in towns including Uki and Hikawa, where construction of temporary housing has begun. Some hotels and inns are also offering rooms to evacuees, while residents have been putting out broken furniture, damaged appliances and other debris for collection. The scale of the disruption suggests that the impact of the quake is still unfolding even as the first phase of emergency response gives way to longer-term recovery.
There are also signs of wider strain on local services and support systems. The governor said many evacuation centres lacked clean water and medical care, and the government has said it will quickly examine what more can be done for the disaster-hit region. What remains unclear is how quickly water supplies, shelter conditions and temporary housing can be improved, and whether the coming days will bring further heat-related health problems.
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