Japanese emergency crews continued an intensive search for survivors on Thursday after a powerful earthquake struck southwestern Japan, raising the death toll to 34 as thousands of residents struggled without electricity and water during an intense heatwave.

According to AFP, via Channels Television, seven more bodies were recovered from the rubble of the collapsed Aeon shopping mall in Kumamoto Prefecture, where a suspected gas explosion occurred shortly after the 7.1-magnitude earthquake on Tuesday.

Authorities also confirmed that eight people died at the Nippon Paper Industries factory in Yatsushiro after part of a smokestack collapsed during the quake. Five others remain in critical condition.

Nearly 9,500 people are staying in evacuation centres across Kyushu as the disaster has flattened homes, damaged bridges, sparked fires and disrupted essential services. More than 13,500 households were still without electricity on Thursday, while water supplies remained cut in several communities.

The heat has worsened conditions for evacuees, with temperatures forecast to reach 38 degrees Celsius over the weekend. Hundreds of elderly residents have sought shelter in community centres equipped with air conditioning.

Many survivors described the frightening force of the earthquake. Retiree Kenji Ota, 72, said he has been sleeping in his car because his home is without electricity and running water, while residents in Hikawa said the lack of functioning toilets and basic utilities has made daily life extremely difficult.

The Aeon shopping mall, which had been evacuated immediately after the earthquake, was devastated by a massive explosion about 50 minutes later. Rescue teams continue to search the wreckage for anyone who may still be trapped. Authorities also confirmed that 25 cats were safely rescued from a cat café inside the shopping complex.

Japan’s Meteorological Agency measured the earthquake at magnitude 7.1, while the United States Geological Survey recorded it at 6.8.

Japan, located on the Pacific Ring of Fire, is among the world’s most earthquake-prone countries. Kumamoto was previously hit by two major earthquakes in 2016 that claimed 273 lives, while the devastating 2011 magnitude 9.0 earthquake and tsunami killed or left missing around 18,500 people and triggered the Fukushima nuclear disaster.