Key Points
- Journalist Tomoyuki Mishima reports from Yatsushiro City, Kumamoto Prefecture, documenting the severe aftermath of a recent earthquake.
- Significant infrastructure damage is visible, including ruptured water pipes that have buckled concrete pavement and large cracks in the roadways.
- Multiple residential structures have completely collapsed, crushing numerous vehicles and leaving neighboring buildings in a precarious state.
- Concerns are high regarding the stability of remaining structures, with some buildings visibly leaning and at risk of falling during potential aftershocks.
Full Transcript (English)
Journalist Tomoyuki Mishima: The time is now 11:45 a.m., and I’ve arrived in Yatsushiro City. Behind me, I can see what appears to be a water pipe. It has been forced upward by the earthquake, pushing the concrete pavement up. As I look at the road, I can also see cracks and uneven sections in the ground. Cars are slowing down as they pass because the road is in a dangerous condition.
Journalist Tomoyuki Mishima: Here, I can see a collapsed house with a car trapped underneath it. It looks like this may have been a parking lot. Several cars are parked here, and most of them have been crushed beneath collapsed houses. I can see that part of this house is still standing. But the one next to it, perhaps because it was older, has been completely destroyed. I can also see that the cars are badly crushed, showing the tremendous force of the collapse.
Journalist Tomoyuki Mishima: When I look at the building in the background, I can see that its pillars are no longer straight—they’re leaning. If there are more aftershocks, it could collapse. Even without them, it’s impossible to know when it might lose its balance. Just behind the collapsed house, I can see what appears to be a residential house. I don’t know whether people are still living nearby, but this is an extremely dangerous scene.
