The death toll from the powerful earthquake in Japan’s Kumamoto Prefecture has risen to 36. The latest victim was a woman in her 70s who died of heatstroke while sheltering in a car after the natural disaster, broadcaster NHK reported.

According to local authorities, the woman was found in her vehicle. Her death became one of the main concerns for rescue services amid the intense heat gripping the affected region. Authorities began distributing guidance to people spending the night in cars, urging them to stay in cool places, drink enough water, and move regularly to reduce the risk of blood clots.

NHK reported that the deceased woman was found in a car without fuel. Kumamoto Governor Takashi Kimura expressed regret over her death and urged evacuees who remain in their vehicles to refuel regularly so they can use air conditioning, or to move to equipped evacuation centers.

The magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck on Tuesday in Kumamoto Prefecture on the southern Japanese island of Kyushu. As a result of the disaster, 105 people were injured, more than 180 homes were completely destroyed, and over 3,800 more buildings were damaged.

The situation is being worsened by extreme heat. In the city of Kumamoto, the temperature reached 36.6 degrees Celsius on Saturday, and meteorologists warned that it could rise further. At the same time, nearly 47,000 homes in the region are still experiencing water supply disruptions, and some areas continue to face fuel shortages.

More than 9,000 people remain in temporary shelters, including public community center buildings, school gymnasiums, and classrooms. Many of them are dealing with a lack of air conditioners. Some residents prefer to spend the night in cars, in parking lots, or near their homes.

Rescue operations are ongoing. In the area of the Aeon Mall shopping center in the city of Kashima, where an explosion occurred after the earthquake and walls and part of the structure collapsed, a large-scale search and rescue operation has been completed. Rescuers found five survivors there and the bodies of seven people who died.

Another serious incident was the collapse of a smokestack at the Nippon Paper Industries plant in the city of Yatsushiro. Eleven workers were trapped under the rubble: nine died, and two were rescued.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said the authorities would continue providing assistance to those affected and supplying evacuation centers with water, food, portable toilets, air conditioners, and additional equipment. She urged rescue workers to continue the search and to “leave no one behind.”