Kumamoto Quake Toll Hits 38 as 40°C Heat and Water Shortages Deepen Crisis

A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck Kumamoto on July 28, killing 38. A week on, 40°C heat is turning shelters into hazards: at least one victim died of heatstroke in a car. Over 8,500 people remain in crowded shelters, many without air conditioning, while 46,000-plus households lack water. The cascading failures of collapsed infrastructure during extreme weather are driving the death toll beyond the quake itself.