Nearly 22,000 Homes Damaged in Kumamoto Earthquake

Tokyo (ANTARA) - Authorities in Japan’s Kumamoto Prefecture have recorded nearly 22,000 homes damaged by the magnitude 7.1 earthquake that struck the region last week. Specifically, 21,800 houses have been destroyed, either partially or completely, as of Monday (10/8), while 34,000 households are still experiencing water shortages and 6,100 people continue to reside in 97 evacuation centres, officials said. The assessment of the damage scale from the earthquake is not yet final, as inspections of the buildings are still ongoing. On 28 July, a magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck off the coast of Kumamoto, triggering a tsunami warning in the Ariake Sea and Yatsushiro Bay. A magnitude 6.1 aftershock occurred less than an hour later. According to the latest reports, 39 people died as a result of the natural disaster.