Kumamoto Quake Victims Mourned 10 Years On

Mashiki, Kumamoto Pref., April 14 (Jiji Press)--People on Tuesday paid tribute to the victims of a pair of powerful earthquakes that struck mainly Kumamoto Prefecture 10 years ago.

In the town of Mashiki in the southwestern Japan prefecture, around 40 town officials, including its mayor, Hironori Nishimura, offered white flowers at an altar set up near the municipal office building and gave silent prayers to those who lost their lives in the disaster.

Tuesday marked the 10th anniversary of the foreshock that occurred April 14, 2016. The main quake struck two days later.

"I pledged to pass on the lessons of the earthquakes (to the next generation) and make our town more vibrant than before the disaster," Nishimura told reporters. "As there are still people who have not yet been able to rebuild their lives, I will continue to support afflicted people to the very end," he added.

Manabu Furuta and his wife, Tae, both 79, whose house was destroyed by the disaster, recalled the past decade as they offered flowers at the altar. After evacuation, they were forced to live in temporary housing for about seven years.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]