1,000 quakes recorded in southwest Japan in 2 weeks

More than 1,000 seismic events had been recorded in Kumamoto and Oita prefectures by Thursday in the two weeks since a magnitude-6.5 earthquake struck southwestern Japan, while over 30,000 people remain evacuated from their homes.The frequency of the seismic events, ranging from minor jolts to the M7.3 quake that occurred two days after the initial April 14 quake, is unusually high as the nation's total last year was 1,842, the Japan Meteorological Agency said, urging people to stay alert for more earthquakes.

Major transportation lines were rapidly recovering in the region, with bullet train services on the Kyushu Shinkansen Line resuming on all tracks the day before and the Kyushu Expressway expected to fully open Friday.But repairs to smaller roads have lagged behind, with rocks, trees and debris from buildings severing routes in at least 295 locations. Debris and waste generated by the earthquakes have spilled onto the streets in parts of Kumamoto city, with public garbage collection services hard-pressed to cope, prompting the Self-Defense Forces to begin hauling waste outside the city Thursday. At least 30,000 people were still sheltering at evacuation centers in Kumamoto Prefecture. The prefectural government has decided to secure some 4,200 temporary housing units, half through construction and the other half by renting, using a supplementary budget of 36.6 billion yen for fiscal 2016.