Japan quake death toll rises to 39 amid extreme heat

The death toll from the 7.1-magnitude earthquake that struck Japan’s Kyushu island on July 28 has risen to 39, according to the administration of Kumamoto Prefecture, the hardest-hit area.

Authorities said 23 people with serious injuries remain hospitalised following the earthquake, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

Nearly 6,600 people who are unable to return to their homes are currently staying in temporary shelters across Kumamoto Prefecture.

More than 18,000 buildings have been damaged, while recovery and debris-clearing efforts are being complicated by extreme heat. Daytime temperatures in the disaster zone have reached 40 degrees Celsius.

By Sabina Mammadli