Kumamoto quake death toll rises to 46

KUMAMOTO (Jiji Press) — A man and a woman were confirmed dead after their bodies were discovered in the landslide-hit village of Minami-Aso, Kumamoto Prefecture, on Tuesday, three days after a 7.3-magnitude earthquake struck the prefecture.

Another person, thought to be a woman, was found in the same area, but it is not known whether the individual is alive.

Before their discovery, at least eight people had been listed as missing in the village’s Kawayo, Nagano and other districts.

The confirmation of two deaths brought the number of fatalities from the main earthquake, a 6.5-magnitude foreshock and other related quakes to 46, with a total of about 1,100 people injured in Kumamoto and nearby prefectures, according to local authorities.

As of Tuesday, about 117,000 people were taking shelter within Kumamoto Prefecture.

http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0002888380