The streets of a Japanese city have been covered in a strange foam in the aftermath of two deadly earthquakes which hit the country this week.
The mysterious foam appeared in the city centre of Fukuoka in the early hours of Saturday morning, after a powerful magnitude-7 quake shook the Kumamoto region.
The same region was struck by a magnitude-6.5 earthquake on Thursday night, but thankfully the residents of Fukuoka reported little damage in the aftermath of either quake.
Citizens began posting images and a video of the unexplained bubbles on Twitter, leading many to wonder where the foam was coming from, with one theory that the tremors burst an underground pipe.
The mysterious foam came as Japan woke up to scenes of devastation on Saturday morning, when the second huge earthquake struck the nation, bringing the total death count to 41.
The destructive earthquake ruined buildings, roads and caused massive mudslides that washed away entire bridges and dumped hundreds of tonnes of soil on buildings and roads.
More than 1,500 people were injured and 31 killed by yesterday’s quake in southern Kyushu island, and authorities say they expect the death toll to rise.
It struck just a day after a smaller shock killed ten, and the country’s prime minister, Shinzo Abe, said it is now a ‘race against time’ to find survivors.
Mr Abe said:
Nothing is more important than human life and it’s a race against time. Daytime today is the big test. I want rescue activities to continue with the utmost effort.
The disaster has left 410,000 homes without water and 200,000 are facing blackouts, meaning that crowds of people have been forced to queue for food and water at emergency aid centres.
To make matters worse officials are warning that heavy rainfall expected tonight could potentially trigger more landslides slowing down rescue efforts.
The area has been blighted by aftershocks which has understandably put people on edge.
Police have so far received reports of 97 cases of people trapped or buried under collapsed buildings, while 10 people were caught in landslides.
More of a concept than a journalist, Tom Percival was forged in the bowels of Salford University from which he emerged grasping a Masters in journalism.
Since then his rise has been described by himself as ‘meteoric’ rising to the esteemed rank of Social Editor at UNILAD as well as working at the BBC, Manchester Evening News, and ITV.
He credits his success to three core techniques, name repetition, personality mirroring, and never breaking off a handshake.