Japan Self Defense troops

Japan ended a multi-day search-and-rescue operation at a collapsed Aeon Mall in Kashima, Kumamoto Prefecture, after a magnitude 7.1 earthquake killed 34 people. Five were rescued and seven bodies recovered over five days, with officials confirming all missing individuals accounted for. The mall collapse followed an explosion likely caused by a gas leak, and ongoing challenges include water shortages, heatwaves, and damaged infrastructure.