10 Yrs On, 278 Kumamoto Quake Victims Remembered

Kumamoto, April 16 (Jiji Press)--A memorial ceremony was held in Kumamoto Prefecture on Thursday for the victims in huge earthquakes that hit the southwestern Japan prefecture particularly hard 10 years ago.

The April 2016 quakes claimed the lives of a total of 278 people in Kumamoto and neighboring Oita Prefecture, including deaths from indirect causes. Thursday marked exactly 10 years since the main shock occurred.

The memorial took place at Kumamoto-Jo Hall in the prefectural capital city of Kumamoto and was cosponsored by the prefectural government and all municipalities in the prefecture.

About 250 people, including Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara and bereaved families, attended the ceremony and prayed for the victims. All attendees observed a minute of silence just after 10 a.m.

"We will never let the memory of the earthquakes fade away. We will pass it on to the next generation in a reliable manner as preparation for disasters that may occur at any time," Kumamoto Governor Takashi Kimura emphasized in his speech.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]