A 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck southern Japan on Tuesday afternoon, leaving at least 100 people injured, trapping many inside a shopping mall, and causing widespread damage to roads, bridges, and buildings. The quake hit Kumamoto prefecture on Kyushu island, knocking out power to thousands of homes.
Trapped in Shopping Mall
An explosion occurred at an Aeon shopping mall shortly after the earthquake, trapping “many people,” fire services said. The broadcaster TBS reported that police said “quite a few” were presumed dead. About 20 to 30 workers at the mall were unaccounted for, according to NHK. Kyodo News reported that four people were taken to hospital, all conscious. An Aeon spokesperson said customers and employees were evacuated after the initial quake, and the cause of the explosion remained unclear. A government official later told reporters that Aeon Kumamoto reported a gas leak, though it had not been determined as the cause.
Prime Minister's Statement
Japan’s Prime Minister, Sanae Takaichi, told reporters authorities were still assessing the damage in the area, which was devastated by another deadly quake a decade ago. “We have already been informed that people have been injured. Power outages and fires have occurred in some areas, and there has also been damage to roads and bridges and the collapse of buildings,” Takaichi said. “I ask everyone to take action to protect themselves, including evacuating to a safe location.”
Evacuations and Aftershocks
About 300,000 people have been instructed to go to evacuation centres, the disaster management agency said. The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) warned that areas with the biggest tremors will remain at risk of further strong quakes and landslides for about a week. So far, more than 60 aftershocks ranging from magnitude 1 to 4 have been recorded. A tsunami warning was issued immediately after the quake but lifted within two hours.
Casualties and Damage
One person was killed in south-west Japan when a house collapsed, Kyodo News reported. Two hospitals reported more than 50 injuries each, including 10 in serious condition, NHK said. “People are coming in with burns and fractures from being trapped under objects due to the earthquake, and ambulances are constantly bringing in injured people,” an NHK report quoted one hospital employee as saying. “Inside the hospital, there are water leaks and electrical system failures.” Several people on a high-speed train were also injured, and multiple people were unaccounted for after a chimney collapsed at a Nippon Paper Industries factory.
Infrastructure and Services Disrupted
Footage from NHK showed buildings on fire or partly collapsed, large fissures on major roads, and an elevated highway damaged. TSMC, Sony, and Fujifilm evacuated workers from their factories in the area. Kyushu Electric Power said 48,000 homes lost power, while JR Kyushu suspended services including bullet trains. Kumamoto airport shut its runway, and airlines diverted or cancelled flights. Telecom operators KDDI and NTT Docomo reported mobile phone service disruptions due to power shortages and transmission-line failures. No irregularities were reported at nuclear power stations, according to Japan’s nuclear regulation authority.
Seismic Context
The quake’s epicentre was about 12 miles (20km) south of Kumamoto, a city of about 700,000. The US Geological Survey initially reported magnitude 7.1 but revised it to 6.8. The JMA said the tremor at 4:27 pm local time had magnitude 7.1 and reached the highest level of 7 on Japan’s shindo scale. A subsequent aftershock of magnitude 6.1 occurred at 5:08 pm. Japan, located along the Pacific “ring of fire,” is one of the world’s most earthquake-prone countries, accounting for about 20% of magnitude 6 or greater earthquakes globally. A massive earthquake in Kumamoto 10 years ago killed 275 people and injured 2,739, damaging thousands of buildings including Kumamoto Castle, whose stone walls appear to have been damaged again in the latest quake.
