Emergency responders in Japan worked through the early hours of Wednesday searching for individuals feared trapped in a shopping mall after a powerful earthquake struck the region, toppling buildings, sparking fires, and reportedly leaving one person dead and more than 100 injured.
Private broadcaster TBS reported that a significant number of people were feared dead inside the Aeon Mall in the town of Kashima. Fire officials indicated that the second floor of the mall collapsed during the 7.1-magnitude quake that hit on Tuesday afternoon.
As night fell, regional authorities said they believed 10 people were unaccounted for in the mall, according to public broadcaster NHK. Earlier, police had stated that between 20 and 30 mall employees could not be reached.
Police told AFP they could not confirm any fatalities inside the heavily damaged building, while Kyodo News reported that four people had been taken to hospital, all conscious.
Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae pledged late Tuesday that emergency teams would work “tirelessly” through the night, focusing on rescue and lifesaving efforts for those affected.
NHK also reported that multiple people were believed missing at a factory in Yatsushiro city, where a chimney collapsed. One fatality was confirmed when a house collapsed during the quake, according to Kyodo.
NHK aired footage from the wider Kumamoto region on Kyushu island showing fires, damaged bridges, a derailed cargo train, and homes at risk of collapse.
The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said the initial quake struck at 4:27 pm local time with a magnitude of 7.1, reaching the highest level of seven on Japan’s Shindo scale. The US Geological Survey recorded the quake at 6.8 magnitude. Several aftershocks followed, including a 6.1-magnitude tremor at 5:08 pm.
Japan experiences hundreds of earthquakes each year, though most cause little harm.
Power Outages and Fires
Significant damage was visible at the Aeon Mall Kumamoto in Kashima. Chiharu Hara, a 35-year-old recruitment agent in Kumamoto, described the terror as buildings swayed violently. “I was afraid it would collapse. Everyone panicked,” she told AFP.
Verified video showed vehicles, street lights, and traffic signals swaying for about twenty seconds. Motorists navigated sections of buckled pavement as many roads were closed and shinkansen bullet train services were suspended. Kumamoto airport was shut for several hours before reopening in the evening.
Two local hospitals treated at least 50 injured people each, NHK reported. Many injuries were due to burns and fractures from being trapped under debris. Inside at least one hospital, water leaks and electrical failures complicated care. Around 10 people were also injured at a local nursing home.
Prime Minister Takaichi reported confirmed casualties, collapsed buildings, damaged roads, and fires, as well as water and power outages. The Japanese military mobilized 3,600 personnel and deployed 20 aircraft for disaster relief and aerial assessment.
Social media footage showed parts of Kumamoto Castle’s historic wall collapsing. No irregularities were detected at nuclear power plants, according to the Nuclear Regulation Authority. About 45,000 households and facilities lost power, though three regional nuclear reactors continued to operate normally.
Ring of Fire
An NHK staff member reported live on air that strong shaking persisted for half an hour after the quake, making it difficult to remain standing. “Including myself, there may be some people who feel their hearts racing,” the staffer said.
Kumamoto was previously struck by two devastating earthquakes in 2016, resulting in 273 deaths and more than 2,800 injuries. Japan, located atop four major tectonic plates on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” is one of the world’s most earthquake-prone countries. The nation, home to 125 million people, experiences hundreds of tremors annually, accounting for about 18 percent of the world’s earthquakes.
While most Japanese earthquakes are mild, the devastation varies with location and depth. The nation remains haunted by the memory of the 2011 undersea quake and tsunami, which killed or left missing around 18,500 people and caused the Fukushima nuclear disaster.
