Asia · 28 July, 2026 · 3 min read
7.1 Earthquake Strikes Japan’s Kyushu, Collapses Aeon Mall and Traps People in Kumamoto
A 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck Kyushu, hitting Kumamoto Prefecture in southern Japan. Second floor of Aeon Mall Kashima collapsed, trapping dozens inside.
Quake magnitude is presented differently (7.1 vs 6.8).
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BBC foregrounds evacuations and outages; NDTV leads with missing after mall collapse.
Kyushu quake and collapses
A 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck Japan’s southern island of Kyushu on Tuesday, leaving dozens of people injured or missing after part of a shopping center and a huge chimney at a paper factory collapsed, officials said.
“A 7.1 magnitude earthquake shook Japan’s southern main island of Kyushu on Tuesday”
In Kashima Town, the quake collapsed the second floor of the Aeon Mall shopping center, trapping an unknown number of people there, according to the fire department in the prefectural capital of Kumamoto.
At the Nippon Paper Industries Co.’s Yatsushiro factory, where a chimney collapsed and the building was damaged, 11 people were trapped underneath the debris, the Kumamoto emergency team said.
Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told journalists that there were reports of damage to roads, bridges and buildings, as well as blackouts and fires, though details were unclear.
The Fire and Disaster Management Agency said more than 260,000 people were advised to evacuate, most of them in Kumamoto prefecture, but also in the neighboring Nagasaki prefecture.
Trapped in mall, officials urge
Authorities reported Tuesday afternoon that several people were killed and others trapped at multiple sites after the 7.1-magnitude quake caused widespread destruction in the Kumamoto area on the southern island of Kyushu.
NHK reported that between 20 and 30 employees were trapped inside the Aeon mall and could not be reached, while local police said they believed there were "quite a few" fatalities at the scene.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said, "We have already received reports of casualties. Power outages and fires have occurred in some areas, and there is also damage to roads and bridges, as well as collapsed buildings," as rescue and recovery efforts continued.
She also urged people to evacuate, saying, "I urge everyone to take steps to protect themselves and evacuate to a safe place."
In Yatsushiro, a hospital said it had received about 40 injured people, while Japanese media reported several people were injured when a high-speed train derailed and tipped onto its side.
Aftershocks, evacuations, and risk
The BBC reported that the quake forced more than 150,000 people to evacuate, with power outages and damaged roads and bridges, and it said more than 40,000 households were without power after a chimney collapsed at a paper factory in Kumamoto prefecture.B
“More than 150,000 people to evacuate”
The Guardian said about 300,000 people had been instructed to go to evacuation centres, and it reported that the areas with the biggest tremors would remain at risk of further strong quakes and landslides for about a week.
The Japan Meteorological Agency said there had been more than 60 aftershocks ranging in magnitude from 1 to 4, and the BBC said the quake’s impact included a footbridge destroyed and part of a castle wall brought down.B
A tsunami advisory was issued but was lifted within two hours, with the Japan Meteorological Agency cited as saying the advisory for the Ariake and Yatsushiro Seas on the western coasts of Kumamoto prefecture and three neighboring prefectures was lifted within two hours.
Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority said no abnormalities were found at three nearby nuclear power plants, while Kyushu Electric Power said 48,000 customers lost electricity and JR Kyushu suspended services including its high-speed bullet trains.