There is fear of further disaster as Mt. Aso has erupted and there is an increasing threat of landslides around the quake-stricken area.
All transportation facilities, roads, railways and airports, have been stricken, making it difficult to access the afflicted areas. The Self-Defence Force, the Police, and the Fire and Ambulance Service from around the country have sent their forces to the disaster areas, working day and night to save lives.
The Salesian Family do not have houses in Kumamoto Prefecture, but have houses and works in the neighboring Oita, Fukuoka, Nagasaki, Miyazaki and Kagoshima Prefectures.
At Beppu Church in Oita Prefecture, with the big earthquake late in the evening of the 16th, the statue of the Sacred Heart fell and the right hand broke off, while the top of the baptism font made of marble broke in half.
That evening, neighbours gathered to take shelter in the Church compound. The Pastor Fr Puppo provided them with food and blankets. A great number of people stayed through the night in the playground of the Star of the Ocean Kindergarten adjacent to the Church.
Bishop Miyahara of Fukuoka Diocese, which includes Kumamoto Prefecture, appealed for prayers and a collection for those afflicted by the earthquake. He also asked that the facilities of the Church be opened to help those in need.
Caritas Japan is also appealing for an emergency collection.
