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Thousands search for missing in Japan’s deadly earthquakes 11 missing in Japan quakes; US to join relief effort
(about 4 hours later)
ASO, Japan — Thousands of rescue workers searched a debris-strewn village in southern Japan for about a half-dozen missing people Sunday, as the Japanese government said U.S. military aircraft would join the relief mission for communities devastated by two powerful earthquakes that killed 41 people. MINAMIASO, Japan — Eleven people remained missing Sunday in southern Japan from two powerful earthquakes that killed 41 people, as the U.S military announced it was preparing to join relief efforts and Toyota said it would suspend vehicle assembly in Japan over the course of next week because of quake-related parts shortages.
The search is concentrated in Minamiaso, which means South Aso, a village in a mountainous area southwest of 1,592-meter (5,223-foot) Mount Aso, the largest active volcano in Japan. Thousands of rescue workers fanned out in often mountainous terrain to search for the missing. Rescue helicopters could be seen going into and out of the area, much of which has been cut off by landslides and road and bridge damage.
Landslides from the second earthquake early Saturday morning have blocked roads and destroyed bridges, making it difficult to access the area east of Kumamoto, a city of 740,000 on the southwestern island of Kyushu. With 180,000 people seeking shelter, some evacuees said that food distribution was a meager two rice balls for dinner.
In Tokyo, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said the Defense Ministry is working with the U.S. military to start aid flights. U.S. Forces, Japan said it is getting ready to provide aerial support for Japan’s relief efforts. The U.S. has major Air Force, Navy and Marine bases in Japan, and stations about 50,000 troops in the country.
“We are extremely grateful, and we would like to coordinate quickly and have the emergency relief be transported in as soon as possible,” he said. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said, “We are extremely grateful, and we would like to coordinate quickly and have the emergency relief be transported in as soon as possible.”
Overnight rainfall did not appear to cause any more landslides, as had been feared, and the skies had cleared by morning. Shiori Yatabe, an official at the Kumamoto prefecture crisis management department, said 11 people were missing. She didn’t have a breakdown, but Japanese media reported that eight were in Minamiaso village.
Minamiaso is in a mountainous area southwest of 1,592-meter-high (5,223-foot-high) Mount Aso, the largest active volcano in Japan. Aerial footage from Japanese TV showed teams of rescuers going through small clusters of destroyed buildings.
Earthquakes on successive nights struck Kumamoto city and the surrounding region late last week. Nine people died in the first earthquake, and 32 in the second. Kumamoto, a city of 740,000, is on the southwestern island of Kyushu.
Overnight rainfall did not appear to cause any more landslides, as had been feared, and the skies had cleared by Sunday morning.
About 80,000 homes in Kumamoto prefecture still didn’t have electricity Sunday, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said. Japanese media reported earlier that an estimated 400,000 households were without running water.About 80,000 homes in Kumamoto prefecture still didn’t have electricity Sunday, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said. Japanese media reported earlier that an estimated 400,000 households were without running water.
More than 1,000 buildings were damaged in the two earthquakes, including at least 90 completely destroyed. More than 1,000 buildings were damaged in the two earthquakes, including at least 90 that were destroyed.
Authorities have confirmed 32 deaths from Saturday’s magnitude-7.3 earthquake, and nine from a magnitude-6.5 quake in the same area Thursday night. About 1,500 people were injured in the quakes, said Yoshihide Suga, the Japanese government’s top spokesman.
The hardest-hit town appears to be Mashiki, on the eastern border of Kumamoto city, where 20 people died.The hardest-hit town appears to be Mashiki, on the eastern border of Kumamoto city, where 20 people died.
The second earthquake triggered major landslides in Minamiaso. One tore open a mountainside from the top to a highway below. Another gnawed at a highway, above a smashed house that had fallen down a ravine. In another part of the village, houses were hanging precariously at the edge of a huge hole cut open in the earth.The second earthquake triggered major landslides in Minamiaso. One tore open a mountainside from the top to a highway below. Another gnawed at a highway, above a smashed house that had fallen down a ravine. In another part of the village, houses were hanging precariously at the edge of a huge hole cut open in the earth.
The area has been rocked by aftershocks. The Japan Meteorological Agency said that the Saturday quake may have been the main one, with the first one a precursor. Toyota Motor Corp. said it would shut down the assembly of vehicles in Japan over the course of this week because of parts shortages stemming from the earthquakes.
“It is unusual but not unprecedented for a larger and more damaging earthquake to follow what was taken to be the main event,” said David Rothery, professor of planetary geosciences at The Open University in Britain. The shutdown will begin on Monday at a factory in Kyushu and progress to other plants in Japan through Friday. Toyota said on its website Sunday that resumption of operations would depend on the availability of parts.
Rothery noted that in March 2011, a magnitude-7.2 earthquake in northern Japan was followed two days later by the magnitude-9.0 quake that caused a devastating tsunami that killed more than 18,000 people. Other companies, including Sony, have announced stoppages of some of their factories in Kyushu.
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Associated Press writers Emily Wang in Mashiki, Japan, and Danica Kirka in London contributed to this report. Associated Press writer Emily Wang in Mashiki, Japan, contributed to this report.
Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.