A powerful 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck Japan’s southern Kumamoto Prefecture on Tuesday, damaging buildings, cutting power to thousands of homes and trapping several people after an explosion at a partially collapsed shopping mall.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said authorities were assessing the full extent of the devastation in a region that was also ravaged by a deadly earthquake 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.”
The Disaster Management Agency said about 300,000 people had been instructed to evacuate to emergency shelters, while Takaichi announced that 3,600 members of the Self-Defense Forces would be deployed to support rescue and recovery operations as strong aftershocks continued.
A local hospital reported treating more than 50 injured people, while several passengers aboard a high-speed train were also hurt.
Emergency services said multiple people were trapped inside an Aeon shopping mall after an explosion that occurred shortly after the earthquake. Police said they feared multiple fatalities, though no official death toll had been confirmed.
An Aeon spokesperson said customers and staff had been evacuated immediately after the initial quake and that the cause of the subsequent explosion remained under investigation.
A nearby resident, Kazuya Tsurunaga, said he heard a massive explosion while cleaning up inside a pub about 300 metres from the shopping mall.
“It was a huge impact,” he said. “A large cloud of smoke billowed up, and because the wind happened to be blowing towards the shop, the area around us looked as though volcanic ash was falling.”
Several other buildings caught fire or partially collapsed, while major roads, including an elevated highway, developed large cracks. Rail services were suspended and flights were disrupted across parts of the region.
Companies including TSMC, Sony and Fujifilm evacuated workers from facilities in the affected area as a precaution.
The earthquake’s epicentre was located about 20 kilometres south of Kumamoto City on Japan’s Kyushu Island.
The Japan Meteorological Agency warned residents to remain alert for strong aftershocks and the risk of landslides over the coming week.
A tsunami warning issued immediately after the earthquake was later lifted.
Kyushu Electric Power said about 48,000 homes lost electricity, while JR Kyushu suspended train services, including its high-speed Shinkansen operations. Kumamoto Airport also closed its runway, forcing flight cancellations and diversions.
Telecommunications providers reported disruptions to mobile phone services due to power outages and damage to transmission lines.
Japan’s nuclear regulator said no abnormalities had been detected at nearby nuclear power facilities.
The earthquake also caused additional damage to Kumamoto Castle, where sections of its historic stone walls collapsed. The landmark sustained extensive damage during the devastating 2016 Kumamoto earthquakes, which killed 275 people and injured more than 2,700 others.
Ojo Triumph
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