Tokyo, July 29 : Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Wednesday said that 13 people have died in the '2026 Kumamoto Earthquake' of magnitude-7.1 as authorities continue search and rescue operations amid widespread destruction caused by the disaster. "Regarding the '2026 Kumamoto Earthquake,' as of 10:30 a.m. today, in addition to 13 fatalities (including those under investigation for disaster-related causes), extensive damage has been confirmed, including human injuries, building collapses, fires, and road damage," Takaichi said. Takaichi said the government is working to rapidly assess the damage while coordinating emergency response efforts across ministries and agencies. She thanked local government officials, police, firefighters, the Japan Coast Guard and the Self-Defense Forces for continuing search and rescue operations despite difficult conditions. She said, "Starting at 1:30 p.m. today, we will hold the 'Second Extraordinary Disaster Countermeasures Headquarters Meeting' regarding the '2026 Kumamoto Earthquake' to share the latest situation and accelerate our initiatives."