TOKYO, July 29 (Xinhua) -- Five people were confirmed dead, two were injured and four others remained missing after a powerful earthquake caused severe damage at a paper plant in Kumamoto Prefecture, southwestern Japan, local media reported Wednesday.
At the Nippon Paper factory in Yatsushiro City, where a smokestack at the paper mill had collapsed after the 7.1-magnitude quake struck the region, 11 people were trapped. Seven people have since been rescued, public broadcaster NHK reported.
Of the seven rescued, five were confirmed dead and two were injured. The whereabouts and safety of four others remain unknown, the report said.
At a disaster response headquarters meeting held shortly after 4:00 p.m. local time, Kumamoto Prefecture Government officials said 12 people have been confirmed dead following the powerful earthquake, while six others remain in cardiac arrest, citing the latest official figures.
Prefectural officials said that 62 people had also been injured in the quake-hit prefecture, while at least four people remain unaccounted for, NHK reported. ■