Death toll from southwestern Japan quake climbs to 34 as rescuers search damaged mall

Death toll from southwestern Japan quake climbs to 34 as rescuers again search damaged mall 1 of 4 | Residents evacuated from their homes in southwestern Japan have been sleeping in their cars after a powerful Earthquake killed at least 25 people. (AP video shot by Ayaka McGill) 2 of 4 | Police units gather in the parking lot before beginning operations at Aeon Mall Kumamoto in Kashima, Kumamoto Prefecture, Friday, July 31, 2026. (Kyodo News via AP) 3 of 4 | Vehicles are crushed under collapsed buildings in Yatsushiro, southwestern Japan, Wednesday, July 29, 2026, the day after an Earthquake hit the area. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae) 4 of 4 | Electric poles are seen fallen over rail tracks in Hikawa, southern Japan, Thursday, July 30, 2026, two days after an Earthquake hit the area. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae) 1 of 4 Residents evacuated from their homes in southwestern Japan have been sleeping in their cars after a powerful Earthquake killed at least 25 people. (AP video shot by Ayaka McGill) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share 2 of 4 | Police units gather in the parking lot before beginning operations at Aeon Mall Kumamoto in Kashima, Kumamoto Prefecture, Friday, July 31, 2026. (Kyodo News via AP) 2 of 4 Police units gather in the parking lot before beginning operations at Aeon Mall Kumamoto in Kashima, Kumamoto Prefecture, Friday, July 31, 2026. (Kyodo News via AP) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share 3 of 4 | Vehicles are crushed under collapsed buildings in Yatsushiro, southwestern Japan, Wednesday, July 29, 2026, the day after an Earthquake hit the area. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae) 3 of 4 Vehicles are crushed under collapsed buildings in Yatsushiro, southwestern Japan, Wednesday, July 29, 2026, the day after an Earthquake hit the area. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share 4 of 4 | Electric poles are seen fallen over rail tracks in Hikawa, southern Japan, Thursday, July 30, 2026, two days after an Earthquake hit the area. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae) 4 of 4 Electric poles are seen fallen over rail tracks in Hikawa, southern Japan, Thursday, July 30, 2026, two days after an Earthquake hit the area. (AP Photo/Hiro Komae) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share Updated [hour]:[minute] [AMPM] [timezone], [monthFull] [day], [year] KUMAMOTO, Japan (AP) — The death toll climbed to 34 from a powerful Earthquake in southwestern Japan that set off an explosion at a mall, toppled a factory chimney and flattened homes, the Kumamoto prefectural government said Friday.The magnitude 7.1 Earthquake hit Japan’s southern main island of Kyushu on Tuesday.Officials said 34 deaths had been confirmed as related to the disaster, with one more death still under investigation. Dozens of people were injured.More than 3,500 homes were still without electricity, according to Kyushu Electric Power Co. Authorities said more than 9,000 people were staying in shelters, where power sources were being added to provide air conditioning. In the days since the quake, concerns have grown about illness, including from the sweltering heat. Temperatures Friday were due to rise to 36 C (97 F) in Kumamoto city, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency, after stifling 35 C (95 F) heat on Thursday. Searchers continued to work in the Kumamoto area on Friday, including at the site of the collapsed Aeon Mall shopping center in the town of Kashima, where some of the most serious damage was recorded. The complex was bustling with thousands of people when the quake happened. The company said about 3,000 shoppers were evacuated to a parking lot before an explosion happened in another part of the mall, where some staff remained working. The mall’s second floor collapsed, trapping people. 1 MIN READ 2 MIN READ 4 MIN READ At the site, seven people were confirmed dead and 11 had been rescued, Japanese Chief Cabinet Sec Minoru Kihara told reporters in Tokyo on Friday. Authorities didn’t say how many were still missing. Meanwhile, a search operation had ended at a Nippon Paper Industries factory in the Yatsushiro area where a chimney collapsed in the quake, Kihara said. Searchers rescued 11 people there, while nine others were confirmed dead. ____Associated Press senior producer Mayuko Ono in Tokyo contributed to this report.