TOKYO, August 1. /Dunyo IA/. The death toll from the powerful earthquake that struck Kumamoto Prefecture on Japan's southern island of Kyushu on July 28 has risen to 36, reports Dunyo IA correspondent.

According to Kyodo News, six more people remain in critical condition. The confirmed fatalities include nine people who were killed at a Nippon Paper Industries plant in the city of Yatsushiro, and seven others who died following an explosion at an Aeon shopping mall in the town of Kashima after the earthquake.

Search and rescue operations across Kumamoto Prefecture have been completed for all reported incidents except at the shopping mall, where a joint team of approximately 230 police officers from the prefectures of Hyogo, Osaka, and Tokyo continues to search for any remaining victims.

As of Friday, more than 9,000 people remained in evacuation centers. Three days after the disaster, approximately 79,000 households were still without running water, while electricity had been restored to most affected areas. In the hardest-hit communities, including the city of Uki, local authorities have begun accepting applications for disaster damage certificates, which are required to access tax relief and temporary housing assistance.

More than 40 people were hospitalized on Wednesday and Thursday after suffering heatstroke and heat-related illnesses amid unusually high temperatures.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi stated that Japan has received messages of condolence and offers of assistance from 56 countries and regions, as well as seven international organizations. During a meeting of the government's disaster response task force, she instructed the relevant authorities to continue ensuring the provision of essential supplies to affected residents and to strengthen measures to prevent heat exhaustion among evacuees, including those forced to spend nights in their vehicles.