A magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck Kumamoto prefecture on Japan's Kyushu island Tuesday, killing 34 people, authorities confirmed Thursday.
Rescue teams are searching for survivors amid extreme heat and widespread structural damage.
The quake caused significant destruction, including the partial collapse of a shopping center and an explosion about an hour later.
Thousands of residents have been displaced and are staying in evacuation centers.
Temperatures in the area are forecast to reach 39°C, raising concerns about heatstroke, especially among vulnerable populations in shelters.
Officials have urged precautions to keep evacuees cool and hydrated.
Rescue and Relief Efforts
Japan's Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi announced Wednesday the delivery of 300 air conditioning units to Kumamoto, with half allocated to evacuation centers housing approximately 9,000 displaced people.
Over 30,000 households remain without power.
Yukiya Sanoue, working at an evacuation center hosting about 1,000 people, said heat stroke was the biggest concern, as about 30% of evacuees are senior citizens.
He added that electricity and water supplies had stopped since the earthquake, and the center lacked air conditioning until Wednesday afternoon when a generator arrived.
"Quite a few people are suffering from conditions similar to heatstroke, and several have been taken to hospital," Sanoue said.
More than 100 aftershocks have been recorded since the initial quake, prompting many residents to sleep in their cars for safety.
Thousands of personnel remain deployed in search-and-rescue operations.
Rescuers are focused on Kashima's Aeon shopping center, one of the hardest-hit buildings where the second floor partially collapsed.
The mall also experienced an explosion likely caused by a gas leak, the Aeon president said, though investigations continue.
A cat cafe inside the mall confirmed all 25 cats left during the chaos have been safely rescued.
The Aeon mall had just reopened last month after renovations following damage from a series of strong earthquakes in April 2016 that killed 278 people in the region.
Rescue operations are also underway at a Nippon Paper factory in Yatsushiro city, where at least five people died after a partial collapse.
Eleven people were trapped, seven of whom have been rescued, Nippon Paper said.
The quake, with a shallow depth of 10 km, caused shock across Kumamoto.
One resident said, "I have lived here for 75 years, but I have never experienced such a big quake.
I thought I would die."
