A powerful earthquake has struck Kumamoto Prefecture in Japan’s Kyushu region, reducing buildings to rubble and leaving multiple people dead, trapped and injured
A colossal earthquake has hit Japan this morning leaving many dead and others trapped and injured. The enormous 7.1-magnitude quake occurred in the Kumamoto Prefecture in the Kyushu region on Tuesday, triggering a tsunami warning.
At least 50 people have been taken to hospital, including 10 injured at a nursing home. It also caused an explosion and partial collapse at an Aeon Mall shopping centre, where a “considerable number of people” are feared dead.
The massive tremor also was initially recorded as up to shindo seven, the top level on the Japanese seismic intensity scale. The Japanese weather agency issued a tsunami advisory for the Ariake and Yatsushiro seas, advising people to steer clear of the ocean and coastal areas.
View from Japan after magnitude 7.1 earthquake prompts tsunami advisory(Image: AP)
Japan’s Prime Minister has issued three immediate instructions to government agencies following the powerful earthquake in Kumamoto Prefecture. In a statement shared by the Prime Minister’s Office, officials were ordered to rapidly assess the extent of the damage, work closely with local authorities to prioritise saving lives and rescue efforts, and provide the public with timely information on evacuations and the developing situation.
Kumamoto Prefectural Police say “a considerable number of fatalities have occurred” at Aeon Mall Kumamoto following the powerful earthquake and subsequent explosion.
In a statement, police said: “It will take time to confirm the exact number of deaths.”
Footage shared on social media appears to show a a camera shaking violently near Kumamoto Castle ss the powerful earthquake struck the region. Other videos showed Aeon shopping mall in Kumamoto caving in leaving many people trapped.
Many are feared dead(Image: undefined/Kyodo News via AP)
A video shared on X by user @sirokumadio appears to show part of the stone walls at Kumamoto Castle collapsing in a cloud of dust as the powerful earthquake struck.
In the post, the user wrote: “The stone walls of Kumamoto Castle collapsed right before my eyes.”
Meanwhile, safety checks tested for abnormalities at the Genkai and Sendai nuclear power plants, and no abnormalities were found at Ikata Nuclear Power Plant in Nishiuwa District, Ehime, Japan.
Japan’s tsunami advisory remains in force for the Ariake Sea and Yatsushiro Sea following the powerful earthquake.
This aerial image shows A section of the Kyushu Expressway damaged by the earthquake is seen in Yatsushiro, Kumamoto Prefecture
Authorities have warned that waves of up to one metre could reach parts of the coastline and have urged people to stay away from the sea and shorelines.
All flights have been suspended at Kumamoto Airport.
The advisories were lifted within two hours. The US Geological Survey initially said the earthquake had a magnitude of 7.1, but revised it later to 6.8.
Japan’s prime minister Sanae Takaichi, in a message posted on X, urged residents to avoid the coastline where a tsunami of up to one metre was predicted.
Explosion heard at Aeon Mall Kumamoto(Image: NHK ONE)
She said her government has set up a task force to gather information, assess possible damage and prepare for rescue operations if needed.
Ms Takaichi later told reporters that there have been reports of a number of injuries and damages to roads, bridges and buildings, as well as blackouts and fire, though details are still unclear.
Ms Takaichi warned people cooking to be careful with fire and with shards of broken glass.
“We are putting people’s lives as the top priority,” Ms Takaichi said, urging residents in the strongly shaken areas to use caution in light of possible strong aftershocks.
Kyodo News agency said a hospital in Yatsushiro city accepted about 40 people with injuries from the quake.
A building on fire(Image: NHK WORLD-JAPAN)
A train was derailed and fell on its side at the Yatsushiro station, and stone walls were damaged at the Kumamoto castle, Kyodo said.
Yozo Kai, a priest at a Shinto shrine in the nearby town of Mashiki, said a few stone lanterns fell down.
“I worried if the main hall and the gate would tilt again,” he told Kyodo.
“The shaking reminded me of the Kumamoto quake (10 years ago) and I was frightened,” said Hiroki Shimoda, an official at the Mifune town hall, who saw rooftiles of nearby homes crash down to the ground.
Kumamoto Castle in Kumamoto city, multiple sections of the stone walls collapsed(Image: @baisutakiludun via Spectee / SWNS)
Shinji Kiyomoto, JMA’s earthquake and tsunami countermeasures planning officer, told a news conference that the shallow earthquake was triggering active seismic activity in the area, urging residents to especially be cautious over the next two to three days for another big quake.
He said, however, that no tsunami was observed from the inland quake.
Japan’s Fire and Disaster Management Agency said there were no reports of damage to major public facilities and infrastructure in the region, though authorities were still assessing the extent of damage from the quake.
Local fire departments received many emergency calls.
Japan Kumamoto earthquake inside Costco(Image: BROOKS NADER/INSTAGRAM)
Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority said no abnormalities were found at three nearby nuclear power plants.
Shinkansen bullet trains and local trains in Kyushu have been suspended for safety checks, while the runway at the Aso Kumamoto Airport was closed, with “no prospect of resuming operations”, according to a notice on the airport’s website.
The Japanese Defence Ministry said it dispatched aircraft to the area to assess the situation.
Kumamoto was hit with a deadly quake in 2016 that left more than 50 people dead, 1,800 injured and tens of thousands of homes damaged or destroyed.
