Japan hit by 7.

3-magnitude earthquake
Reports of deaths and people trapped inside buildings after second quake in as many nights in
Kumamoto region on island of Kyushu

A powerful earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.3 has struck southern Japan barely 24
hours after a smaller quake hit the same region and killed nine people.

Police on Saturday were reported as saying that at least six people had been killed. Authorities
said hundreds of calls had come in from residents reporting people trapped inside houses and
buildings on the island of Kyushu.

The fire and disaster management agency said 66 people were trapped inside a nursing home in
Mashiki, the town hit hardest, and rescue efforts were under way.

The latest quake also appeared to have triggered a small eruption of the Mt Aso volcano on
Kyushu. Public broadcaster NHK said smoke rose about 100 metres in the air. The Japanese
Meteorological Agency kept its alert level at 2 on a scale of 5 for the volcano

More than 400 people were treated at hospitals after the quake, which shook the Kumamoto
region at 1.00 am local time on Saturday, followed by several aftershocks.

Japan’s meteorological agency issued but later lifted a temporary advisory for a tsunami of up to
one metre high along the coast west of the epicentre.

The agency upgraded the magnitude to 7.3 from an initial reading of 7.1. Compared to the quake
that struck late on Thursday night just south of Mashiki, the most recent quake and aftershocks
appeared to be moving east, spreading damage to the north-east.

Chief cabinet secretary Yoshihide Suga, in an emergency news conference early on Saturday,
said more than 300 calls came in to the Kumamoto police and another 100 to police in nearby
Oita, seeking help and reporting people trapped or buried underneath debris.

Prime minister Shinzo Abe said damage from the quake could be extensive and urged rescue
workers to do their utmost to help those trapped in the rubble.

Sirens of patrol vehicles could be heard in the background as NHK reported from Mashiki. The
tarmac outside the town hall had a new crack, apparently made by the latest earthquake.

Japan earthquake: tens of thousands flee in

fear of aftershocks and volcanoes
Thursday’s weaker, magnitude 6.5 earthquake brought down buildings and injured about 800
people. More than 100 aftershocks followed. Since Saturday’s quake was bigger, Thursday’s was
technically a foreshock.

Police said on Friday that concern about aftershocks was keeping many people from starting the
task of cleaning up. About 44,000 people stayed in shelters after Thursday’s quake.

Of those who died, five were women and four men, the fire and disaster management agency
said.

One man was in his 20s, and the rest of the victims ranged from their 50s to one woman in her
90s. Eight of the nine victims were from Mashiki.

The government’s chief spokesman, Yoshihide Suga, said at least 860 people had been injured,
53 seriously, but other reports put the headline figure at 784.

Suga said 1,600 soldiers had joined the relief and rescue efforts. TV reports showed troops
delivering blankets and adult diapers to those in shelters. With water service cut off in some
areas, residents were hauling water from local offices to their homes to flush toilets.

Most of Japan’s nuclear reactors remain offline following the Fukushima meltdowns in 2011
after a magnitude-9.0 earthquake triggered a tsunami.

Mashiki sits near two faults and is also near Mount Aso, a huge active volcano.