Monday, April 18, 2016

Japan quake rattles markets as factories shut; survivors queue for food

The Japanese share market plunged more than 3% on Monday after a series of earthquakes measuring up to 7.3 magnitude struck a southern manufacturing hub, killing at least 42 people and forcing major companies to close factories.

About 30,000 rescue workers were scouring the rubble for survivors and handing out food to those unable to return to their homes, after the quakes struck Kyushu island from Thursday. The biggest hit happened near Kumamoto city early Saturday.

"There are still missing people. We want to make further efforts to rescue and save people and prioritise human lives," Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told parliament on Monday, saying he wanted to declare the region a disaster zone as soon as possible.

The Nikkei stock index fell 3.2%, as investors weighed the impact of the earthquakes on manufacturers' supply chains and insurers. Factories for major manufacturers including Toyota, Sony and Honda were closed, causing supply chain disruptions around the country.

Three nuclear plants in the region were unaffected by the quakes, but the Nuclear Regulation Authority said it will hold an extraordinary meeting on Monday to discuss the disaster.
All commercial flights to the damaged Kumamoto airport were cancelled and Japan's bullet train to the region suspended.

Food was in short supply as roads remained cut off by landslides. Evacuees at a high school made an SOS signal out of chairs at a school playground, hoping to catch the attention of supply helicopters, Japanese media reported.

"Yesterday, I ate just one piece of tofu and a rice ball. That's all," said the mayor of one of the areas affected.

"What we're most worried about now is food. There's no electricity or water, either."

Of more than 500 quakes hitting Kyushu since Thursday, more than 70 have been at least a four on Japan's intensity scale, strong enough to shake buildings.

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