TOKYO, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- The death toll from the powerful earthquake that struck southwestern Japan's Kumamoto Prefecture on July 28 has risen to 39, while more than 6,500 people remain in evacuation shelters, the prefectural government said Saturday.

Workers inspect debris of the Kinparo inn, founded in 1910, for conservation of a possible rebuilding in Yatsushiro, southern Japan, Friday, July 31, 2026, three days after an earthquake hit the area. (Photo: AP)

Of the 39 fatalities, 36 were directly caused by the 7.1-magnitude tremor, while one fatality, apparently due to heat stroke, is believed to be related to the disaster. The circumstances surrounding the other two deaths are still being examined for possible links to the quake.

So far, the earthquake has resulted in 205 casualties in the prefecture, including 23 people who sustained severe injuries.

The powerful Kumamoto earthquake registered a maximum of 7 on Japan's seismic intensity scale in the hardest-hit areas, a level at which people cannot remain standing or move without crawling and may be thrown through the air.