Earthquake in Kumamoto Kills 38 as Heat and Water Shortages Add to the Suffering

A powerful earthquake shook Kumamoto on July 28, killing 38. Now, extreme 40°C heat is making emergency shelters unsafe — one person died from heat illness in a car. Over 8,500 people still crowd into shelters with little air conditioning, and more than 46,000 homes have no running water. Broken roads and pipes, hit by extreme heat, are causing more deaths than the quake alone.