Tokyo, July 29 -- Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Wednesday said that 13 people have died in the '2026 Kumamoto Earthquake' of magnitude-7.1 as authorities continue search and rescue operations amid widespread destruction caused by the disaster.

In a post on X, Takaichi said that, as of 10:30 am (local time), the earthquake had resulted in 13 fatalities, including deaths still under investigation for disaster-related causes, while extensive damage had been reported across the affected region.

"Regarding the '2026 Kumamoto Earthquake,' as of 10:30 a.m. today, in addition to 13 fatalities (including those under investigation for disaster-related causes), extensive damage has been confirmed, including human injuries, building col...