Death toll from earthquake in Japan rises to 18
The number of people killed as a result of the powerful earthquake that struck southwestern Japan on Tuesday has risen to 18, the Associated Press reports.
Earlier reports had put the number of victims at 13.
At least 62 more people were injured, six of them seriously.
Rescuers and the military are conducting search and rescue operations, so they do not rule out that the number of victims may increase. In particular, rescuers are continuing to clear the rubble of a collapsed shopping center building near the city of Kumamoto.
About 40,000 people in Japan remain without electricity, and 9,500 homes are without gas and communications. More than 9,000 people have left their homes and are currently housed in temporary shelters.
On Tuesday, seismologists recorded a magnitude 7.1 earthquake in Kumamoto Prefecture, with the strongest tremors felt in the cities of Uki and Kikawa.
