Powerful Magnitude 7.1 Earthquake Strikes Japan’s Kumamoto; Explosion Reported at Aeon Mall

KUMAMOTO, Japan - A powerful magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck Japan’s southern Kumamoto Prefecture on Tuesday afternoon, injuring at least 50 people, knocking out power to thousands of homes and damaging roads, bridges and buildings, authorities said. Among the sites damaged was an Aeon shopping mall, which public broadcaster NHK reported had suffered an explosion and which appeared to have partially collapsed.

The quake hit at around 4:27 p.m. local time, registering up to 7 — the highest level on Japan’s seismic intensity scale — in the hardest-hit areas, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. An aftershock followed roughly half an hour later, and officials urged residents to stay alert for further strong tremors.

What we know so far

The Aeon mall

Footage circulating on social media appeared to show people running through the car park of an Aeon mall as a cloud of smoke and debris rose from the site. NHK reported an explosion at the mall, and aerial images showed damage to the structure. The cause of the blast has not been officially confirmed, and authorities had not stated whether it was directly linked to the earthquake.

Accounts of who may have been inside were still being clarified. NHK, cited by Xinhua, reported that the mall had been open for business earlier in the day but that customers and staff had already been evacuated following the earthquake, and that the operator was still confirming whether anyone was injured in the explosion. Some early, unverified reports raised concerns that people could be trapped at the site; those reports had not been independently confirmed, and could not be reconciled with the evacuation accounts as of this writing. A spokesperson for Aeon did not immediately have a comment. Emergency crews were assessing the scene.

Casualties and the official response

At least 50 people were injured, with one hospital reporting more than 50 cases, according to NHK. Speaking to reporters in Tokyo, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said the full extent of casualties and damage was still being assessed, adding: “We have already been informed that people have been injured.” She said power outages and fires had broken out in some areas, along with damage to roads and bridges and the collapse of buildings. Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said no abnormalities had been detected at the country’s nuclear power plants, including the Sendai facility in neighbouring Kagoshima Prefecture.

Widespread damage across Kyushu

Beyond the mall, the fire department in the city of Uki reported numerous emergency calls as fires broke out, and NHK footage showed buildings ablaze or partially collapsed. Overpasses on the Kyushu Expressway in Yatsushiro sustained significant damage, part of a bridge was reported to have collapsed, and large cracks opened on major roads, including an elevated highway. A goods train derailed, rail services were halted and flights were grounded. TSMC, the world’s largest contract chipmaker, evacuated workers from its plant in the area as a precaution.

A seismically active zone

Officials said the shallow, inland quake was likely to generate many aftershocks. Its epicentre lay about 20 kilometres from the Hinagu fault zone associated with deadly earthquakes that struck the same region in 2016, though authorities cautioned it was too early to say whether the events were related. Residents across Kumamoto were urged to follow local emergency guidance and remain vigilant.