A powerful earthquake struck southwestern Japan, causing widespread damage and trapping multiple people inside a shopping mall. The 7.1-magnitude earthquake hit the Kumamoto prefecture at 4:27 pm local time, with its epicenter located about 10 kilometers underground. According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, the earthquake measured at the highest possible level seven on Japan’s Shindo scale of shaking.
Although a tsunami warning was initially issued, it has since been rescinded. The local fire department reported that a shopping complex’s second floor collapsed in Kashima town, leaving many people trapped inside. Police received reports of what sounded like an explosion at the Aeon Mall outlet in the Kumamoto region, but were unable to provide additional information on damage or casualties.
The Japanese government has issued emergency earthquake warnings for several prefectures in the southern Kyushu island, including Kumamoto, Nagasaki, Kagoshima, Fukuoka, Saga, Oita, and Miyazaki. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi confirmed that the government has assembled an Emergency Assembly Team to tackle the disaster. The team, consisting of bureau chief-level officials from relevant ministries and agencies, is working to assess the damage situation and implement emergency disaster response measures.
The prime minister urged everyone to take action to protect themselves, including evacuating to a safe location. The earthquake has caused significant damage, with several buildings on fire or partially collapsed, and large cracks appearing on major roads. Rail services have been halted, and flights grounded.
The world’s largest contract chipmaker, TSMC, evacuated workers from its plant in the area as a precaution. Sony and Fujifilm also evacuated staff from their plants in the area. The Nuclear Regulation Authority reported no abnormalities at nuclear power plants after the earthquake.
The earthquake has raised concerns due to Japan’s location on top of four major tectonic plates, making it one of the world’s most seismically active countries. In 2016, Kumamoto was hit by two devastating earthquakes, one of magnitude 6.5, followed by one of magnitude 7.3 two days later, which killed 273 people and injured over 2,800 others. The country experiences about 1,500 earthquakes a year, many of which are mild but others are deadly.
In March 2011, a devastating earthquake and tsunami killed over 18,000 people and triggered a triple meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.
