Japan’s prime minister tours quake-hit sites as recovery efforts hampered by soaring temperatures

Prime minister Sanae Takaichi visited Kumamoto prefecture almost a week after a magnitude 7.1 quake hit, killing 38 people Japan’s prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, has visited the south-western prefecture of Kumamoto, where recovery efforts are being hampered by heat and a lack of water supplies, almost a week after a m

Natural disastersGovernment hopes to avoid spate of related deaths seen in recent temblorsKumamoto city recorded a high temperature of 40.3 C on Aug. 3, raising fears of additional deaths due to heatstroke. (Photo by Shun Kato)KOICHI KITANISHI and HIROTO OKURAAugust 4, 2026 07:14 JSTKUMAMOTO, Japan/TOKYO -- With Tuesda

More than 46,000 households remained without water and many also faced fuel shortages as the region suffers sweltering heat, stoking fears of heat-related illness

Residents in Japan’s quake-hit southwestern prefecture of Kumamoto put out heaps of debris for collection as the region baked under intense heat.

The heat and a lack of water supplies have added to the challenges in the severely damaged areas where Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi briefly visited for the first time sincethe quake.

Prime minister visits quake-hit southern Japan as cleanup begins in intense heat  AP News

Prime minister visits quake-hit southern Japan as cleanup begins in intense heat  Toronto Star

Residents of Japan’s quake-hit southwestern prefecture of Kumamoto are working to clear their homes in intense heat, as Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi briefly visited Kumamoto Prefecture on Monday for the first time since a magnitude 7.1 quake hit Japan’s southern main island of Kyushu last Tuesday

Residents of Japan’s quake-hit southwestern prefecture of Kumamoto are working to clear their homes in intense heat, as Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi briefly visited Kumamoto Prefecture on Monday for the first time since a magnitude 7.1 quake hit Japan’s southern main island of Kyushu last Tuesday

Kumamoto faces a “double disaster,” as rescuers work in 100 degree heat, and shelters with limited air-conditioning put displaced people at risk for heatstroke.

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More than 1,500 buildings were damaged, including 179 that were destroyed, according to preliminary assessments by Japanese officials.