Japan Sets Up Emergency Headquarters for Kumamoto's Intensity 7 Quake, Orders Rescue, Deploys 3,600 SDF
The Japanese government established an emergency disaster response headquarters on the evening of July 28 after a magnitude-7 earthquake struck Kumamoto Prefecture. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who heads the unit, ordered full rescue efforts under a 'human life first' policy. In response to the governor's request, about 3,600 Self-Defense Forces personnel have been deployed, with police, fire, coast guard, and SDF units conducting ongoing rescue operations.
The government set up an emergency disaster response headquarters on the evening of July 28, under the Disaster Countermeasures Basic Act, with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi as its head, to respond to the earthquake that registered a maximum seismic intensity of 7 in Kumamoto Prefecture. At the first meeting of the headquarters held at the Prime Minister's Official Residence, Takaichi stated that given the severity of the situation, the government must adhere to the principle of human life first and take all possible measures. She instructed relevant ministries and agencies to promptly assess damage information, carry out rescue and relief operations, and ensure a safe evacuation environment.
Prime Minister Takaichi revealed that in response to the Kumamoto governor's request for disaster deployment of the Self-Defense Forces, about 3,600 SDF personnel have been deployed and are gradually carrying out operations in the affected areas. She explained that local police, fire departments, the Japan Coast Guard, and SDF units are engaged in rescue and relief duties, and urged all relevant bodies to devote full efforts to emergency response operations throughout the night.
Following the earthquake, the government immediately set up a response office at the crisis management center of the Prime Minister's Official Residence, assembled an emergency response team of director-general-level officials from relevant ministries, and dispatched a Cabinet Office survey team to the affected areas to assess the damage.