Businesses Rush to Supply Relief to Quake-Hit Kumamoto

Tokyo, Aug. 5 (Jiji Press)--Companies are expanding relief efforts in earthquake-hit Kumamoto Prefecture, southwestern Japan, rushing to supply cooling equipment, emergency power and necessities to evacuees.

Addressing the heat wave is a top priority at a time when temperatures have topped 40 degrees Celsius on some days.

Daikin Industries Ltd. has been dispatching portable spot coolers and business-use air conditioners capable of cooling large evacuation shelters in response to requests, a company official said.

Hitachi Ltd. had delivered 37 business-use air conditioners to shelters as of Tuesday, while electronics retailer Edion Corp. deployed mobile inspection vehicles to provide free appliance checks for affected people.

Toyota Motor Corp. has sent a hydrogen fuel cell bus to a disaster zone for the first time. Developed to provide emergency electricity during disasters, the bus generates power from onboard hydrogen, recharges portable batteries made by Honda Motor Co. and supplies electricity to evacuation shelters and other sites.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]