Emergency crews are racing against time to rescue people feared trapped inside a shopping mall after a powerful earthquake struck Japan’s Kumamoto Prefecture, toppling buildings, sparking fires and leaving at least one person dead and more than 100 injured.
According to Channels Television, citing AFP, the 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck at about 4:27 pm local time on Tuesday, with the Japan Meteorological Agency recording the maximum intensity of seven on the country’s Shindo seismic scale.
Authorities said around 10 people remained unaccounted for at the Aeon Mall in Kashima after part of the second floor collapsed. Earlier reports suggested that between 20 and 30 employees could not be contacted. Police said they could not yet confirm reports of fatalities inside the damaged shopping complex.
Japan’s Prime Minister, Takaichi Sanae, vowed that emergency responders would work through the night to rescue survivors and provide lifesaving assistance.
The quake also caused damage across the region, with fires, collapsed buildings, damaged bridges, a derailed cargo train and buckled roads reported in several locations. A factory in Yatsushiro City was also affected, with multiple workers feared trapped after part of a chimney collapsed.
One person was confirmed dead after a house collapsed, while hospitals across Kumamoto admitted more than 100 injured people suffering fractures, burns and other earthquake-related injuries. Medical facilities also reported water leaks and electrical failures.
Around 45,000 households lost electricity, while several roads were closed, high-speed Shinkansen train services were suspended and Kumamoto Airport temporarily halted operations before reopening later in the day.
The Japanese military deployed 3,600 personnel and 20 aircraft to support rescue and damage assessment operations.
Authorities said there were no immediate abnormalities at nuclear power plants in the region, and three operating reactors continued to function normally.
Kumamoto Castle also suffered damage, with verified footage showing parts of its historic walls collapsing.
Japan lies on the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, making it one of the world’s most earthquake-prone countries. Kumamoto was previously devastated by twin earthquakes in 2016 that killed 273 people and injured more than 2,800.
The country also continues to live with the memory of the catastrophic 9.0-magnitude earthquake and tsunami in 2011, which claimed about 18,500 lives and triggered the Fukushima nuclear disaster.
