Japan earthquake latest: At least 13 dead as hospitals overwhelmed amid ‘race against time’ to reach survivors

Aerial footage from the Nippon Paper Industries factory shows the scale of destruction after the earthquake caused a towering chimney to snap and collapse onto the site.

The collapse trapped workers beneath the rubble, with rescue teams continuing to search for seven missing people.

Four others are seriously injured, a local government official ​said.

The factory has suspended operations while the company verifies employee safety and assesses damage.

Some hospitals have reported being overwhelmed in the aftermath of the disaster, as power outages exacerbated the strain on emergency services.

One hospital in Uki City, near the epicentre, said a power outage caused by the earthquake left it unable to function.

“It’s become like a field hospital,” the head of the hospital’s administrative department told NHK.

Another hospital in the city said it had suspended admissions because it could no longer handle additional emergency cases after treating 86 people injured in the quake, including three with serious injuries.

Seismologists believe the powerful earthquake that struck Kumamoto on Tuesday may have been caused by a section of an active fault zone left unruptured after the devastating twin earthquakes that hit the same region in 2016.

The earthquake, which was measured at 7.1 magnitude by the Japanese disaster management authority and 6.8 by the US Geological Survey, hit Kumamoto Prefecture on Tuesday.

It occurred close to the epicentres of the magnitude 6.5 and 7.3 earthquakes a decade ago, which killed more than 270 people.

Experts told Kyodo that the 2016 disaster may have increased strain along the fault, triggering the latest rupture, and warn that strong seismic activity could continue.

Shinji Toda, a professor of seismology at Tohoku University, said: “It is believed that the 2016 earthquake caused a significant strain and stress, resulting in movements along part of the Hinagu fault zone”.

Thousands of homes without power in summer heatMore than 48,000 homes are still without power in Kumamoto as temperatures soared to around 34C (93F) today, as authorities warned about the risk of heat stroke.

Hospitals near the epicentre are struggling to cope after the powerful quake, with one facility in Uki City describing itself as “like a field hospital” following a power outage that left it unable to function.

Another hospital has suspended new admissions after treating 86 injured people, including three with serious injuries, saying it could no longer handle additional emergency cases.

As the full extent of the damage from the earthquake continues to emerge, many people remain unaccounted for in companies and factories.

Around 20 to 30 workers remain missing at the damaged Aeon shopping mall as emergency crews continue searching areas where calls for help were received.

Rescuers pulled eight people from the rubble of the partially ​collapsed shopping mall early today.

Seven people are also missing after a chimney collapsed at a Nippon Paper Industries factory, while four others are seriously injured, a ​local government official said.

Japan’s prime minister Sanae Takaichi said 13 people have died after a powerful earthquake and subsequent tremors rocked the Kyushu region.

Kyodo News said a hospital in the city of Yatsushiro took in about 40 people with injuries and about 50 others were taken to a hospital in Kumamoto city.

“There are people who are still waiting to be rescued, and it’s a race against time,” Takaichi said. “We will go all out to find and rescue as many people as we can.”

Takaichi offered her condolences to the victims and sympathy to their relatives, while urging those affected by the quake to take care of themselves under the hot weather.

Around 3,600 military personnel were sent to Kumamoto yesterday to help emergency service efforts, which continued through the night.

It comes as workers urgently try to rescue the dozens of people who thought to be trapped in the Aeon Mall shopping centre in Kashima Town.

Prime minister Sanae Takaichi said: “The government will work tirelessly through the night to swiftly assess the overall damage situation and carry out emergency disaster response measures, starting with the rescue and lifesaving of those affected.

“At the same time, we will ensure the reliable delivery of essential supplies such as food and water, as well as simple air conditioners and power vehicles for heatstroke prevention, utilising push-type support where appropriate, and strive to secure a safe and suitable evacuation environment.”