Second earthquake hits southern Japan; dozens dead

日 규모 7.3 '2차 강진'에 사상자 속출…'심대한 피해' Rescue workers in Japan are facing a daunting task after two earthquakes hit the island of Kyushu in little more than 24 hours. At least 27 people are now known to have died in the quakes and scores are thought to be trapped under collapsed buildings. Hwang Ji-hye has the details. Just over a day after the first hit,... a second, even more powerful earthquake struck the southern city of Kumamoto early Saturday. The prefectural office says... the seven-point-three magnitude earthquake killed at least 19 people... and left hundreds more injured. This brings the death toll from the two earthquakes to at least 29... as the six-point-five magnitude quake that hit the same region on Thursday night killed ten people. While the exact number of casualties remains unclear,... evacuees had another sleepless night. "The night before last, I stayed in the gymnasium and last night, I was dozing off in the gymnasium when the earthquake happened around midnight. That the school buildings and the gymnasium, so I have been here since around 1 a.m." "The aftershocks are continuing so I cannot even begin to think of what's ahead." Japanese media reports... that power was cut for around 200-thousand homes in the area. And it's not just power outages... the damage covered collapsed bridges, split roads... and grounded flights. With rain that could further complicate rescue operations by weakening already flattened buildings,... Prime Minister Shinzo Abe says... rescue efforts are at a critical stage. "We are currently trying to assess the situation as best as we can, and rescue those in need." Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga says... nearly 80 people are assumed to be trapped under rubble. He said extra troops and more medical personnel would be dispatched. Hwang Ji-hye, Arirang News. Visit ‘Arirang News’ Official Pages Facebook(NEWS):   / newsarirang   Homepage: http://www.arirang.com Facebook:   / arirangtv   Twitter:   / arirangworld   Instagram:   / arirangworld