Image credit: BBC
Apple CEO Tim Cook on Thursday announced that Apple would be making a donation to support earthquake relief efforts in Japan. Cook’s announcement follows a magnitude 6.8 earthquake that hit the Kumamoto prefecture on Kyushu island on Tuesday. The quake collapsed buildings and killed at least 34 people.
Aftershocks continued in the area on Wednesday and Thursday. Kyushu is the third largest of Japan’s four main islands, and it has the second-highest population.
Channel New Asia reports the quake knocked out power to thousands of homes, destroyed roads and left some victims trapped and others presumed dead inside a partially collapsed shopping mall.
In “Kashima town, a shopping complex’s second floor collapsed, leaving many people trapped inside”, the fire department said in a statement.
Broadcaster TBS said that a “considerable number” of people died in the shopping mall, though police told AFP they could not confirm whether there were any fatalities.
Fuji TV also reported that multiple deaths were confirmed at the Aeon Mall outlet in the Kumamoto region.
While Apple has donated to the Red Cross for earthquake and hurricane relief efforts in the past, it traditionally doesn’t announce the amount of the donations. If you would like to contribute to Red Cross relief efforts, visit the Red Cross donation website.
