Quake-Hit Residents In Japan's Kumamoto Begin New Life In Temporary Housing

KUMAMOTO (Japan), Sept 5 (NNN-Kyodo) -- The first group of people began moving into temporary housing Saturday in a southwestern Japan town struck by a powerful earthquake more than a month ago, Kyodo News reported.

A total of 43 people will live in the 20 prefabricated houses in Hikawa, with construction work continuing to prepare more units to accommodate those displaced by the magnitude-7.1 earthquake in the prefecture on July 28.

Hikawa registered a maximum 7.0 on Japan's seismic intensity scale.

Takahiro Miyagawa, 73, received the keys to his new temporary home with his wife.

“It marks a restart. I want to sleep with my legs straight,” he said.

The 20 single-story units were completed in late August after roughly four weeks of construction.

A total of 47 applications have been filed for the units so far, with elderly people and those with disabilities prioritised, according to the town.

By mid-November, hundreds more houses are expected to be completed in disaster-hit areas such as Yatsushiro and Uki.

Around 1,700 houses have been confirmed as completely destroyed.

--NNN-KYODO