Search and rescue teams are racing against time to find more survivors in the hardest-hit areas, though hope is fading.
In Aeon Mall Kumamoto in Kashima Town, an explosion occurred at the facility after the quake struck on Wednesday, and the building's second floor collapsed. In nearby Yatsushiro city, a chimney collapsed at a Nippon Paper Industries factory. Victims in just these two locations account for nearly half of all fatalities.
Meanwhile, nearly 19,000 homes were still without electricity, and more than 9,000 people were staying in roughly 400 shelters.
Some areas now lack fresh water. With temperatures exceeding 30 degrees Celsius, heat stroke is becoming a concern for the thousands of people seeking shelter in evacuation centres.
The impact of the massive earthquake is halting operations at many factories across the Kyushu region - Japan's hub for automotive and semiconductor industries.
Many factories remain closed or partially operational due to damage to infrastructure and supply chain disruptions.
