Ongoing wildfire intensifies public anxiety in northeast Japan's Ofunato City

A massive wildfire in Ofunato City of northeast Japan's Iwate Prefecture has been burning for over a week and continues to spread, causing intensification of anxiety among residents.

The wildfire, which began on Feb 26, has affected wide areas, burning about 2,900 hectares, or nine percent of the city's total area, and impacting about 13 percent of the city's population.

At an evacuation shelter in Sanriku Town, Ofunato City, less than 10 kilometers from the wildfire's origin, about 250 residents are seeking refuge. The shelter, originally a three-story community center, has opened all its rooms, including the auditorium and meeting rooms, to accommodate the evacuees.

The majority of those seeking refuge are middle-aged and elderly people, and the living conditions in the shelter have caused significant discomfort for them.

"I can hardly sleep at night. I wake up several times throughout the night," said an elderly man.

The evacuees say they are most concerned about when the fire will be brought under control, whether their homes have been affected, and when they will be able to return home.

For the first time since the fire began, steady rainfall was recorded on Wednesday, with 17 mm measured by 17:00 local time. The city reported that no further spread of the fire was confirmed, attributing this to the rain.

Although there was rainfall, the weather remains unpredictable, and the evacuees' anxiety continues to grow.

"I heard that the area where my house is located hasn’t been affected by the fire, but I can’t go home. I’m currently sheltering at my company dorm. I know some people who are staying here and I would like to check on their situation, also, to see if there are any updates. I hope the rain will help control the fire. I don’t know when I can go home. I feel really uneasy," said a local resident.

"When people first arrived at the shelter, everyone thought they would return home in a day or two. But as the fire kept spreading, they realized that their time here might be longer than expected. The main sources of information are YouTube or other social media, and news reports on TV, especially aerial footage captured by news helicopters. Through these images, they can judge which areas have been burned and which are still unaffected. Currently, these are the primary sources of information. Aside from that, it’s hard to get more updates. The lack of timely information really makes people feel uneasy," said Murakami Yoshiharu, director of the community center.

Ongoing wildfire intensifies public anxiety in northeast Japan's Ofunato City

Ongoing wildfire intensifies public anxiety in northeast Japan's Ofunato City

Families of victims killed in an attack in central Nigeria's Jos a week ago are calling on the government to do more to protect lives and property.

Gunmen attacked the Ungwan Rukuba community, opening fire and killing about 30 people on March 29.

Ferdinand Habila Gapsiso lost his 24-year-old son Makburi in the attack. As friends and family condoled them in a memorial service, the father recounted the devastation of losing a child.

"When we turned to the other side, where they laid the corpses down on the floor, the first person that we saw was [Makburi]. This child was my hope. We have struggled for him to get to that stage, and suddenly they cut his life short. It was so painful, so painful," Gapsiso said.

The government has described the incident as a terror attack. The area is home to several staff and students from the local university, and many of them have since left the city.

The government has also imposed a curfew in Jos North local government area, where the Ungwar Rukuba community is located, as part of the measures to restore law and order in the city.

Jos, and other parts of Plateau State have a history of violent attacks. Community leaders say there is now growing distrust among residents. They want the government to arrest the perpetrators, and ensure they are exposed and punished to serve as a deterrence.

"We have laws in this country. We have the anti-terrorism act that has spelled out what is to be done to anybody who has been found to be culpable. We should be having the political will to make sure that we go all out and let whoever is the perpetrator, found to be guilty to face the wrath of the law. Once we do that, it will send a lot of signals down the spines of people," said Esthon Gapsiso, a community leader.

President Bola Tinubu visited Jos to condole with families on Wednesday. He says the government will deploy 5,000 intelligence-enabled cameras to support peace operations in the state.

"Governor, you and I were elected on a promise of peace and prosperity, not to comfort and create widows and widowers, to bring prosperity as a promise, to bring inclusiveness as a government, to share in the hope and aspirations of everyone, to lead our youths," Tinubu said during the visit.

The president has also scheduled meetings with opinion leaders in the state, to discuss more ways to address the security challenges.

Defense authorities say they have approved deployment of 850 additional troops to Jos, and other parts of Plateau. They say an investigation is also underway to identify those behind the killings.

Residents demand more effective protection measures after deadly attack on community in Jos