Heat, Water Cuts Deepen Hardship in Quake-Hit Kumamoto

Mashiki, Kumamoto Pref., Aug. 1 (Jiji Press)--Scorching heat waves and widespread water outages are adding to the hardships faced by more than 9,000 evacuees in areas devastated by Tuesday's powerful earthquake in Kumamoto Prefecture, southwestern Japan.

With the quake-hit areas marking their first weekend since the disaster, volunteer activities have begun in the town of Mashiki in Kumamoto.

The death toll from the quake, which registered a seismic intensity of up to 7, the highest on the Japanese scale, reached 36, including two deaths that may be linked to the disaster, according to the prefecture's disaster response headquarters.

The prefecture has confirmed the identities of 27 victims, and plans to release their names after obtaining the consent of the bereaved families.

As of 7:30 a.m. Saturday, 9,228 people were staying at 229 evacuation centers across the prefecture.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]