Japan Battles Heat After Devastating Earthquake: 36 Dead, Thousands Without Water
Temperatures reach 40 degrees Celsius, and evacuation centers are overcrowded with people and pets, which are not welcome everywhere.
Temperatures reach 40 degrees Celsius, and evacuation centers are overcrowded with people and pets, which are not welcome everywhere.
Rescuers in Japan's Kumamoto Prefecture are battling unbearable heat as they search for survivors after a powerful earthquake struck the area on Tuesday. The death toll has risen to at least 36, and more than 9,000 people spent the first weekend in shelters, facing water shortages and temperatures that are expected to reach 40 degrees Celsius by early next week.
The magnitude 7.1 earthquake, which struck Kumamoto Prefecture on Tuesday, July 28, 2026, at 4:27 p.m. local time, reached shindo 7, the highest level on Japan's seismic intensity scale. According to The Japan Times, as of Saturday morning, 229 evacuation centers had been set up, housing approximately 9,228 people. Although power has largely been restored, many are still forced to take refuge in their cars to escape the heat.
The Japan Meteorological Agency warns that maximum temperatures of 35 degrees Celsius are expected on Saturday and will continue in the coming days, with forecasts of up to 40 degrees on Monday. The New York Times describes the situation as a "double disaster" as rescuers work in 100-degree Fahrenheit (about 38°C) heat, and shelters with limited air conditioning increase the risk of heatstroke for displaced people.
Approximately 72,000 households in the prefecture are without water, and authorities cannot estimate when supply will be restored. Efforts to deliver water have been intensified, including sending tanker trucks to priority locations. Members of the Japan Self-Defense Forces were distributing water in the city of Yatsushiro, reports The Japan Times.
Major roads were partially reopened on Friday, July 31, suggesting that infrastructure damage may not be as severe as in the earthquake that hit Kumamoto in 2016. In the town of Hikawa, damage to 1,261 houses has been confirmed, with some partially or completely destroyed. "I'm so glad to be alive," one resident told Reuters.
In the city of Kashima, at the Aeon Mall Kumamoto shopping center, 12 people have been rescued so far, and seven deaths have been confirmed. About 80 minutes after the earthquake, an explosion shook the building, causing part of the second floor to collapse and trapping workers inside. Police, firefighters, and the military continue to clear debris and search for any remaining trapped individuals.
Although the critical 72-hour mark, after which survival rates drop sharply, passed on Friday, authorities are still making every effort to locate the missing. Of the 36 dead, 27 victims have been identified. On Saturday, a volunteer center was set up in the town of Mashiki, and work began on debris removal.
While many evacuation centers have closed their doors to pets, one veterinary hospital in Kumamoto has opened them wide. Ryunosuke Animal Hospital, drawing on experience from the 2016 earthquake, has converted classrooms at its veterinary technician school into temporary accommodation for evacuees, with separate rooms for dog and cat owners.
Tomoko Takaoka (31), a factory worker, spent the first night in her car with her dogs Kuo and Sheri after a nearby center refused to take them in. She found this hospital through social media. "They are like family to me. I want to be with them as much as possible," Takaoka told Reuters. Earlier this week, the hospital was housing 26 evacuees with their pets.
Hospital director Ryunosuke Tokuda explained why this service is important: "During disasters, it's natural for dogs and cats to stay with their families. But people without pets don't necessarily want to be around them. They worry about fleas, odors, allergies, and noise. Pets are often perceived negatively, which is why many shelters don't allow people and animals to stay together."
