Japan earthquake aftermath: Death count hits 34 amid rising heat

A 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck Kumamoto in southwestern Japan on July 29, 2026.

The death count has reached 34, with 86 injured and thousands displaced across 400 shelters.

The Aeon Shopping Mall collapsed and a chimney at Nippon Paper Industries factory fell, claiming eight lives.

About 19,000 households remain without electricity and water, with temperatures reaching 39°C.

Japan's Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi dispatched 300 air conditioners to Kumamoto for heat relief.