The 7.1-magnitude earthquake that struck southern Japan toppled houses and split open streets in the small city of Yatsushiro, but town official Akio Matsushita is most worried about the invisible threats from the lack of water and power amid the punishing summer heat.
Many of the port city’s roughly 58,000 households were still without running water or power on Thursday, two days since the quake hit Kumamoto prefecture, killing at least 17 people.
Matsushita, who is helping lead relief efforts, said he had no idea whether it would take days, weeks or months to repair the badly damaged water mains. “Because of the summer heat, the lack of water is especially difficult,” he said in the city hall.
With the building’s toilets out of order, officials erected emergency toilets over sewer manholes outside, in temperatures of around 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit) and stifling humidity.
“It will require painstaking work, and there is currently no timetable,” he added.
