Death toll from Japan earthquake now at 34

Published July 31, 2026 10:36am

Yuka Shimada, 45 and her daughter Tsugumi, 3, take a break under a tent in front of their house after a magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck Japan's southern Kumamoto prefecture, amid water outages in the area during a heatwave, in Yatsushiro, Japan, July 30, 2026. REUTERS /Issei Kato

KUMAMOTO, Japan — The death toll from a powerful earthquake that hit southwestern Japan earlier this week rose to 34 on Friday from 25 previously, the Kumamoto prefecture government said in a statement.

A further six people have been seriously injured by the earthquake that struck late on Tuesday, leading to buildings collapsing, roads rupturing and supply chains getting snarled.

Nearly half of those killed were caught up in two major incidents: Nippon Paper Industries' 3863.T paper mill, which suffered major structural damage, and Aeon's 8267.

Tshopping mall, where a possible gas explosion occurred. — Reuters

Tags: japan earthquake, earthquake, Japan