Japan earthquake: death toll rises to 41
(VOVworld) - Residents and officials are slowly trying to piece their lives back together after a 7.0 magnitude earthquake hit southern Japan's Kyushu Island early Saturday morning. At least 41 people have been confirmed dead and as many as 1,500 have been injured. The quake hit virtually the same location as Thursday's deadly, damaging 6.2 magnitude foreshock. The quake's epicenter was in Kumamoto Prefecture just miles from the location of Thursday's temblor which forced 90,000 people to evacuate, destroyed 1,700 houses, and caused blackout in the whole area.
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Rescuers rush to trapped people after a 7.0 magnitude earthquake hit southern Japan's Kyushu Island non Saturday
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Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said at a news conference in Tokyo no damage to the Sendai nuclear power station in Kagoshima Prefecture or to the Genkai nuclear power station in Saga Prefecture has been reported.
The Vietnamese Embassy in Japan said there is no report on Vietnamese casualties in these two earthquakes.
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc sent a message to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to pay his regards for the heavy losses in the two earthquakes. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh also sent a message of empathy to Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida.