Fatigue Peaks for Kumamoto Quake Evacuees, 1 Week On

Kashima, Kumamoto Pref., Aug. 4 (Jiji Press)--One week after a massive earthquake struck Kumamoto Prefecture, exhaustion levels are reaching their peak for many of the 7,500 or so people living in evacuation centers in the southwestern Japan prefecture.

In the city of Uki, which experienced the maximum seismic intensity of 7 on the Japanese scale in the July 28 earthquake, about 3,200 people have spent the past week in evacuation centers.

"The past seven days have been tough," said an exhausted-looking Mineko Hasegawa, 72, at a local disaster prevention center.

"I haven't been able to take a bath frequently, and I haven't eaten vegetables," said Hasegawa, nursing a swollen foot she had injured during the quake.

She said that her body hurts from having to sleep crowded together with other evacuees. "I just want things to go back to normal as soon as possible."

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]