A powerful earthquake struck the Kumamoto prefecture on southern Japan's Kyushu island on Tuesday, July 28. The tremor, which registered a preliminary magnitude between 6.8 and 7.1 and reached a maximum of 7 on the Japanese shindo intensity scale, caused widespread destruction. The quake initially triggered tsunami warnings for a one-meter wave, though the alert was later lifted.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi reported that at least 13 people were killed, with some reports indicating the death toll has climbed to 18. Dozens more were injured and hospitalized. Significant damage occurred at the Aeon shopping mall in the town of Kashima, where the second floor collapsed and a possible explosion is under investigation; regional officials reported 10 people unaccounted for at the mall. Additional deaths were reported at a paper mill and a factory. The disaster caused building collapses, fires, and ruptured roads and bridges, while tens of thousands of homes lost power and water and rail services were stopped.
Thousands of military personnel and emergency workers are racing against time to find survivors in the rubble of collapsed houses and commercial buildings. Between 260,000 and 300,000 people have been instructed to evacuate to centers. In the industrial sector, Toyota and Honda have suspended operations at their factories in Kumamoto until Friday, citing the need to prioritize safety amid ongoing recovery efforts.
This tremor is the most powerful to hit the region in ten years, since a 2016 quake. Prime Minister Takaichi urged residents to remain vigilant for aftershocks of similar magnitude and the risk of landslides for about a week. Japan remains one of the world's most seismically active countries, situated on four major tectonic plates along the Pacific Ring of Fire.