An earthquake of the magnitude of 6.5 on the Richter scale struck Kumamoto in the south part of Japan late at night on 14 April, leaving 9 people dead and more than 1,000 injured. This tremor, however, turned out to be just a foreshock of a still larger quake of the magnitude of 7.3 that occurred before the dawn on 16 April, which has additionally killed at least 20 people (as of this reporting). The area has been since experiencing hundreds of aftershocks, and some 70,000 people are reported to have evacuated from their houses, staying at the evacuation centers.

In response, Peace Winds Japan (PWJ) immediately dispatched to Kumamoto its SAR (search and rescue) team comprising rescue specialists and search dogs. The team arrived at the disaster site on the early morning of 15 April and started the SAR operation in Mashiki Town, where the collapsed houses were concentrated. Following the main earthquake on 16 April, PWJ has mobilized a helicopter for the operation and moved the team to Minami-aso Village, the hardest-hit area with difficult access due to damaged roads, and the team is currently engaging in SAR activities there in order to find lives to be saved.

PWJ is accepting donations to support our emergency response and SAR team activities. You can help people in the earthquake-affected area through supporting our emergency relief operations.
Donate today.(Paypal)