Death Toll Reaches 23 in Powerful Southwestern Japan Earthquake as Rescue Window Narrows

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Authorities in Kumamoto prefecture announced Thursday that the death toll from a powerful earthquake that struck southwestern Japan earlier this week has reached at least 23 fatalities. The magnitude 7.1 quake, which hit Tuesday on the southern main island of Kyushu, triggered an explosion at a shopping mall, destroyed a factory chimney, and demolished numerous residential structures across the region.

Rescue operations continue across the Kumamoto area as the window for locating survivors rapidly closes. The prefectural government reported that at least 63 people sustained injuries from the disaster, including five individuals in critical condition. The exact number of those still missing remains uncertain.

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