日本熊本县上周发生7.1级地震，造成38人丧生[1]。首相高市早苗随后视察了灾区[1]。地震发生近一周后，灾区面临多重困难：超过4.6万户仍未恢复供水[1]，气温高达40°C[1]，8500多人仍滞留在拥挤的避难所中[1]。高市早苗表示，"我们将快速研究政府能为灾区和受灾民众做什么，并积极行动"[1]。
灾区还发生了次生安全事故。一处坍塌商场内发生爆炸，据信原因为煤气泄漏[1]，导致两名员工丧生[1]。其中包括22岁的Kurumi Otake，他们是在执行公司指令返回商场回收销售收益时遭遇爆炸的[1]。相关公司为此道歉[1]。
Japan's Prime Minister Takayoshi Takaichi has toured areas devastated by a 7.1-magnitude earthquake that struck Kumamoto Prefecture last week, leaving 38 people dead [1]. Nearly a week after the disaster, recovery efforts continue to face significant obstacles, including widespread water outages affecting more than 46,000 households and dangerously high temperatures reaching 40 degrees Celsius, with over 8,500 people still sheltering in crowded evacuation centers [1].
The earthquake has triggered additional tragedies beyond the initial death toll. Two employees died in an explosion at a collapsed shopping mall, which is believed to have been caused by a gas leak [1]. Among the victims was 22-year-old Kurumi Otake, who was returning to retrieve sales revenue on company orders when the explosion occurred [1]. The company has since apologized for the incident [1].
Prime Minister Takaichi stated that "we will swiftly research what the government can do for the affected areas and residents, and will act proactively" [1]. Her visit underscores the government's commitment to addressing the multifaceted challenges posed by the earthquake and the harsh environmental conditions hampering rescue and recovery operations.