LEILA FADEL, HOST:
Japanese rescuers are combing through the rubble of collapsed buildings for survivors from yesterday's earthquake. At least 18 people died from the magnitude 6.8 quake in southwestern Japan. Authorities are still assessing the damage. NPR's Se Eun Gong has more from Seoul.
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SE EUN GONG, BYLINE: Shoppers at a Costco in Kumamoto prefecture hurry out of aisles cluttered with goods fallen from shelves in a video posted on social media by a customer. Packages on the top shelf are dangerously tilted, and the light flickers on and off. Tuesday's earthquake was the strongest quake to hit Japan in more than two years. The shock could be felt in some parts of South Korea, hundreds of miles away from the epicenter, according to the country's weather agency. Dozens of aftershocks as strong as magnitude six followed. Rescuers worked through the night to save lives. Japan's prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, said Wednesday...
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PRIME MINISTER SANAE TAKAICHI: (Non-English language spoken).
GONG: "There are still people waiting for help, and it's a race against time," Takaichi said.
Two of the dead people were found in a shopping mall that partially collapsed after a large explosion. A paper factory also suffered significant damages. There, nine people are still unaccounted for, according to the public broadcaster NHK. In addition to fires, collapsed buildings and road ruptures, 48,000 households lost power, and 140,000 homes were left without water. Nearly 10,000 people are sheltering in evacuation centers. Bullet train services remain suspended.
Kumamoto is no stranger to major disasters. The region is historically nicknamed the Land of Fire due to a large active volcano there. A decade ago, Kumamoto experienced a series of similarly strong earthquakes, which killed 277 people and injured thousands.
Se Eun Gong, NPR News, Seoul. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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