Japan earthquake injures 50 and traps ‘many people’ inside shopping mall
A 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck Kumamoto on Kyushu, causing widespread damage, power outages, and a partially collapsed shopping mall where many are believed trapped or dead. The quake, which triggered fires, road and bridge damage, and a surge of aftershocks, prompted evacuations and a tsunami advisory that was lifted within hours. Authorities warned of ongoing seismic risk for about a week as aftershocks and landslides continued to threaten the area. Major firms and infrastructure near the epicenter evacuated staff and suspended operations, highlighting the broader disruption to the region. The event follows a devastating Kumamoto earthquake a decade ago, underscoring Japan’s vulnerability to intense quakes and the need for rapid response and recovery.
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The epicenter was about 20 kilometers south of Kumamoto, on central Kyushu, with the US Geological Survey initially reporting 7.1 before revising to 6.8.
The disaster knocked out power to thousands of homes, damaged roads and bridges, and caused buildings to collapse or catch fire, with an Aeon shopping mall at the center of a later explosion that trapped many people.
Public authorities ordered roughly 300,000 residents to evacuate to designated centres, while civil protection officials warned of further strong quakes and landslides for about a week due to active seismic activity.
Infrastructure disruptions included 48,000 homes losing power, JR Kyushu suspending services including high-speed trains, and Kumamoto airport closing its runway; telecom operators also reported mobile-service outages from power and transmission faults.
Medical facilities reported dozens of injuries, and several travelers on high-speed trains were injured; there were no reported irregularities at nuclear power stations amid the outages.
The region had been heavily damaged by a major Kumamoto quake a decade earlier, which left hundreds dead and damaged thousands of buildings, reinforcing concerns about the area’s vulnerability to seismic events.
Aerial footage and witness accounts described widespread destruction, including fires, fissures on major roads, and collapsed structures, as emergency services began search-and-rescue operations.