Key Points
- Severe structural damage has been reported in the Hagiwara-machi district of Yatsushiro City following recent seismic activity.
- Multiple residential buildings have completely or partially collapsed, crushing numerous vehicles in adjacent parking lots.
- Widespread power outages have disabled traffic signals at major intersections, creating hazardous conditions for drivers and pedestrians.
- A large transmission tower at a local paper mill snapped during the quake, leading to emergency road closures by the fire department.
Full Transcript (English)
Reporter (Tomoyuki Mishima): It is currently 2:07 PM on July 29th. I am reporting from near Yatsushiro Station in Hagiwara-machi, Yatsushiro City, Kumamoto Prefecture.
As you can see here, a house has completely collapsed, and a car is trapped underneath it. This area appears to have been a parking lot. There are several cars lined up, but most of them have been crushed under the weight of the fallen buildings.
In this particular case, the second floor of the building is still visible, but this older structure next to it has been completely flattened. The cars underneath are heavily dented, which gives you an idea of the immense weight and force of the debris that came down on them.
If you look at the building further back, the pillars are no longer straight; they are tilted. It looks like it could collapse at any moment, especially if there are aftershocks. It is a very unstable situation. Right behind this collapse site, there are residential homes. I wonder if the people living there are still nearby. This is an extremely dangerous scene.
I have moved to a nearby intersection. As you can see, the traffic lights are out, likely due to a power failure. Both the vehicle signals and the pedestrian crossings are dark. Just a moment ago, I saw cars coming from different directions hesitating, unsure of when to proceed. It created a very dangerous “standoff” situation.
As a pedestrian myself, I have to carefully time my movements to cross the street. While this specific area has relatively light traffic, many other busy intersections are facing the same problem. I can only pray that no traffic accidents occur.
Additionally, behind me, you can see a red and white transmission tower. This belongs to a paper mill, and it has snapped. I spoke with someone who works nearby, and they mentioned that when the tower broke, steam came billowing out. While that has stopped now, the fire department has blocked off the road leading further in. I hope the danger is cleared as soon as possible.
