Japan earthquake death toll rises to 13 as rescuers search for missing

1 min readJul 29, 2026 08:08 AM IST Person on a bike passes by collapsed houses, a day after an earthquake in Yatsushiro, Kumamoto prefecture (Photo/AP) Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said that 13 people were confirmed dead after a powerful earthquake struck the southern Japanese city of Kumamoto. “There are people who are still waiting to be rescued, and it’s a race against time,” Takaichi said. “We will marshal all available resources on the ground to save and rescue as many people as possible.”A 7.1 magnitude earthquake hit the Kumamoto area on the southern main island of Kyushu late Tuesday afternoon. The Japanese PM expressed her condolences to the families of those who died in the quake and extended her sympathies to everyone affected by the disaster. She also urged residents