A major earthquake impacted the Kumamoto prefecture located on Kyushu island on Tuesday at 16:27 local time. The Japan Meteorological Agency initially reported a magnitude of 7.1, though the US Geological Survey subsequently measured it at 6.8. Hundreds of thousands of residents were directed to evacuation shelters in response to the seismic event.
Significant damage has been documented at multiple locations throughout the affected region. An Aeon shopping mall in Kumamoto sustained considerable structural damage, with the second floor collapsing and trapping numerous people inside. Ten individuals remained unaccounted for at the facility, though four persons had been successfully rescued with non-life-threatening conditions. At a nearby paper manufacturing plant operated by Nippon Paper, a chimney collapsed. Two individuals at the plant were found in cardiac arrest, and nine remained missing at the time of reporting. Historic walls at the 17th-century Kumamoto castle also crumbled due to the seismic activity.
The earthquake caused widespread disruptions to infrastructure and utilities. More than 40,000 households experienced power outages, while roads sustained damage throughout the prefecture. A footbridge in the region collapsed, though the status of any potential injuries remains unclear. A tsunami warning was issued immediately following the quake but was lifted within two hours.
The Kumamoto prefecture has experienced significant seismic activity previously. In 2016, powerful earthquakes in Kumamoto and the neighboring Oita prefecture resulted in 278 deaths. That same year, a 7.3 magnitude quake damaged the 400-year-old Kumamoto castle, causing turrets and curved walls to collapse. Following the latest earthquake, more than 60 aftershocks with magnitudes between 1 and 4 were recorded by Japan’s Meteorological Agency.
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