Mototaka Inaba aids quake relief in Japan after Venezuela mission

Mototaka Inaba, a Japanese physician with the NGO Peace Winds Japan, arrived in the southwestern Japanese archipelago on Friday to provide medical assistance after a magnitude‑7.1 earthquake that killed 35 people and caused the collapse of the second floor of an Aeon Mall in Kashima. He said the "atmósfera era de extrema tensión" as rescuers worked long hours in extreme heat, noting that a gas leak could have turned the incident into a large‑scale disaster with thousands of victims. About 3,000 people were in the mall at the time of the quake but were evacuated before an explosion occurred. Rescue teams continue to search for those trapped under the rubble, while more than 9,000 residents remain in evacuation centres coping with water and electricity outages amid a heat wave.

Inaba had earlier traveled to Venezuela to assist after a pair of powerful quakes on 24 June, magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5, which caused over 5,500 deaths. He is now visiting shelters, providing medical care, and highlighting the severe conditions faced by the affected communities.