Shelters still packed in Japan's quake-hit Kumamoto, warmer weather increasing risks for those living in cars

Evacuation shelters remain inundated with thousands still displaced in the wake of the powerful quakes that rocked Japan's southwest prefecture of Kumamoto last month destroying thousands of homes and buildings as aftershocks continue to rumble on, local media said Thursday.

According to public broadcaster NHK, 16,699 people are still living in evacuation shelters in quake-ravaged Kumamoto Prefecture.

The displaced are staying at around 370 temporary facilities, with the majority having been there since a powerful magnitude-6.5 quake initially wreaked havoc in the area on April 14, compounded by a more powerful M7.3 temblor adding to the crisis in the early hours of April 16.

With many people returning to damaged homes and buildings after the first earthquake, the second powerful quake saw the death toll eventually rise to 49, with prefectural officials, according to the latest reports, stating that 17 other people have died due to illness or stress-related complications related to the disaster.

Many have sought refuge in their cars and vehicles, in some of the worst-hit regions like the town of Mashiki, with car parks, particularly in the evenings, becoming de facto camping sites, as many private residences are still deemed too dangerous to return to, and could collapse should there be another large aftershock, with each mini-jolt in the meantime increasing the likelihood of more buildings crumbling.

The temperature rising is also adding to the discomfort and health risks of those relying on their cars for shelter, with officials warning that dehydration and heat stroke could claim more lives.

Prefectural officials have confirmed that as many as 27,000 houses have either been totally destroyed or largely damaged, with as many as 29,000 possibly being damaged across the entire prefecture.

As overcrowded evacuation shelters are struggling with outbreaks of infectious diseases such as the norovirus, those opting to stay in confined spaces such as cars, are at risk of economy class syndrome, which can lead to deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolisms as a result of blood clots breaking off into the bloodstream and blocking one of the blood vessels in the lungs or heart, following long periods of physical inactivity.

Numerous victims have been hospitalized from economy class syndrome, at least one fatally, and others remain unconscious, health officials have said.

Meanwhile, as the government has vowed to allocate emergency funds for the regions from an extra budget to speed up reconstruction and revitalization efforts, more than 8,000 homes remain without direct access to water, more than 20 days after the first quake shook the region, local officials said Thursday. Endit