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Communities across southern Japan are facing growing hardship after a powerful 7.1 magnitude earthquake left at least 17 people dead, damaged essential infrastructure, and cut off water and electricity for thousands of residents. As emergency teams continue rescue and relief operations, authorities are racing to address the worsening impact of intense summer temperatures on affected communities. The earthquake struck Kumamoto Prefecture on Tuesday, causing widespread destruction in Yatsushiro, a port city where cracked roads, collapsed buildings, and broken water pipelines have made daily life increasingly difficult. While damaged homes and public buildings are visible reminders of the disaster, local officials say the lack of clean water and electricity has become one of the biggest challenges facing residents. Akio Matsushita, a city official involved in coordinating relief efforts, said restoring the damaged water system could take a long time because of the scale of the destruction. He explained that repair crews are still assessing the underground damage and cannot estimate when normal services will resume. With temperatures reaching around 35 degrees Celsius and humidity remaining high, the shortage of water has become especially dangerous. Even city hall has been affected, forcing officials to install temporary toilets above sewer manholes after indoor facilities stopped working. Authorities have confirmed that at least 17 people lost their lives in the earthquake. Most of the deaths occurred at a paper manufacturing plant operated by Nippon Paper Industries, where severe structural damage trapped workers. Others were reported at an Aeon shopping mall after what officials believe may have been a gas explosion. Six more people remain in cardiopulmonary arrest, while authorities continue investigating additional deaths that may also be linked to the earthquake. Including those cases, the overall death toll could rise to 28. Emergency responders are also preparing for another serious threat as weather forecasts predict temperatures could approach 40 degrees Celsius over the coming days. Officials have warned that people staying in evacuation centres face an increased risk of heat related illnesses. To reduce that danger, Japan’s Self Defense Forces have begun installing around 300 air conditioning units at evacuation shelters and other important relief locations throughout Kumamoto Prefecture. In the hours after the earthquake, military vehicles transported large water tanks to schools and community centres across Yatsushiro. Emergency water stored beneath city hall has been used to refill the tanks, allowing residents to collect drinking water. However, supplies remain limited, with each person allowed only three litres. Among those waiting for water was Masahiro Miyamoto, who spent hours clearing debris after a temple gate collapsed during the quake. Although his own home remained standing, the neighbouring house was destroyed. Without running water, he has depended entirely on military water deliveries. He said the few stores that reopened after the disaster were crowded with shoppers trying to buy food and other essentials, while long lines formed outside petrol stations as people rushed to fill their vehicles. Japan’s location along the Pacific Ring of Fire makes earthquakes a frequent occurrence. The country has invested heavily in earthquake resistant construction and emergency preparedness, helping reduce casualties during many disasters. Even so, powerful earthquakes continue to cause severe disruption, especially in regions with major industrial facilities. The latest earthquake has also affected manufacturing across Kyushu, an important centre for Japan’s automobile and semiconductor industries. Several leading companies, including Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Aisin, and Sony, temporarily suspended parts of their production while inspections were carried out. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company also evacuated workers and briefly stopped operations to ensure facilities remained safe. Many residents of Kumamoto still remember the devastating earthquakes that struck the region in 2016, killing more than 260 people and destroying thousands of homes. Even those who survived that disaster said this week’s shaking felt stronger in parts of Yatsushiro. Miyamoto recalled shelves crashing to the floor and computers being thrown across rooms. He said the violent movement was unlike anything he had experienced before, describing the sensation as if he had been lifted off the ground and tossed through the air.

Former Hong Kong opposition leader Wu Chi-wai has been granted permission to stay in the United Kingdom for six months after initially facing the possibility of deportation upon arriving at Heathrow Airport. The decision ends several days of uncertainty and allows the veteran pro-democracy activist to reunite with his family after years of separation. Wu arrived in London last Wednesday but was detained by UK Border Force officers for nearly 10 hours. Speaking to BBC Chinese, he said officials initially refused him entry and later informed him that he would only be allowed to remain in the country for one week before reporting back to the airport for deportation. However, the situation changed on Monday when UK authorities approved his entry under standard visitor rules, allowing him to stay in the country for up to six months. The 63-year-old is one of Hong Kong’s best known pro-democracy figures and formerly led the now dissolved Democratic Party. He was also among the group widely known as the Hong Kong 47, prominent activists and politicians prosecuted under Hong Kong’s national security law. Wu was released from prison in June after serving more than five years on convictions related to subversion and other charges. Wu said the trip was mainly intended to reunite with his wife and son, who moved to the United Kingdom in 2022 and 2023. During his imprisonment, he said their contact was limited to monthly phone calls and letters, making the visit especially meaningful after years apart. Before leaving Hong Kong, Wu said he sought advice from staff at the British Consulate General regarding his travel plans. According to him, officials assured him there should be no problems entering the UK and said they would inform the UK Border Force about his criminal record and travel itinerary in advance. Wu said border officials questioned whether he was a genuine visitor travelling only to see his family. He also rejected media reports claiming that he intended to seek political asylum in Britain, insisting that he had no such plans. The rights group Hong Kong Watch welcomed the UK’s decision to allow Wu to remain in the country. Policy Director Megan Khoo said the outcome was the correct one and argued that Wu should never have faced the threat of being sent back to the city where he had been imprisoned. Wu entered Britain using a British National Overseas passport, a travel document available to many Hong Kong permanent residents born before the territory’s transfer from British to Chinese rule in 1997. Holders of the passport are generally allowed to visit the UK without a visa for up to six months. The UK introduced a special visa route for British National Overseas passport holders in 2021 following the crackdown on Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement. The programme allows eligible applicants to live, work and study in Britain and eventually apply for citizenship after meeting residency requirements. Since the scheme began, more than 230,000 Hong Kong residents have received BNO visas, while nearly 170,000 have relocated to the United Kingdom, according to government figures. The UK Home Office declined to comment on Wu’s individual case but reaffirmed its support for the Hong Kong community living in Britain. Meanwhile, the Hong Kong government said it had not received any request for assistance from Wu or other Hong Kong residents regarding the matter.