KUMAMOTO: Numerous cracks stretching more than 10km along the Hinagu fault zone, the epicentre of Tuesday's massive earthquake that struck Kumamoto Prefecture, have been confirmed by The Yomiuri Shimbun.
An aerial survey conducted from a helicopter on Friday also confirmed ground-level damage in the vicinity of the fault zone, including damage to homes.
The earthquake is believed to have been caused by a fault slip extending about 30km along the fault zone. From the helicopter, an intermittent yet distinct line of cracks was visible along the border between the plains and the hills.
Near the Michi-no-Eki Ryuhoku roadside rest area in Hikawa, Kumamoto Prefecture, where the quake registered the maximum intensity of 7 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale, several structures believed to have been damaged were seen aligned with cracks running through farmland and car parks.
On the Minami-Kyushu Expressway in Yatsushiro, the road surface had shifted vertically along the fault line.
"There were buildings near the fault line whose roof tiles had been blown off, illustrating the massive scale of the impact," said Prof Hideaki Goto, a geography expert at Hiroshima University who was on board the helicopter. - Japan News/ANN
