The death toll from the powerful earthquake that struck Kumamoto Prefecture on Japan’s Kyushu Island has risen to 35, local authorities said on Friday, as rescue teams continued searching for survivors.
Officials said it has not yet been confirmed whether all of the deaths were directly caused by Tuesday’s earthquake, according to public broadcaster NHK.
With the critical 72-hour rescue window due to expire on Friday afternoon, authorities warned that the number of fatalities could still increase.
Japan’s Meteorological Agency measured the earthquake at magnitude 7.1, while the US Geological Survey (USGS) and Germany’s GEOFON seismic network estimated it at 6.8.
The quake registered the maximum Level 7 on Japan’s seismic intensity scale. It struck at a depth of 10 kilometres at 4:27pm local time (0727 GMT), with its epicentre located near Uto in Kumamoto Prefecture.
Since the main shock, the region has experienced hundreds of aftershocks, complicating rescue operations and raising concerns about further damage.