A 7.1-magnitude tremor strikes Kumamoto, triggering explosion and trapping victims inside Aeon shopping centre.
The ground shook violently across southern Japan’s Kyushu island on Tuesday afternoon. Residents in Kumamoto Prefecture felt the strongest possible intensity on the national scale. Within moments, reports of an explosion and structural collapse at a major shopping mall turned a powerful earthquake into a developing rescue crisis.
At 4:27 p.m. local time, a magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck near the city of Uki, about 20 kilometres south of Kumamoto. The Japan Meteorological Agency recorded a depth of 10 kilometres and the maximum intensity of 7 in parts of Uki and Hikawa. People could not stand. Furniture flew. Reinforced walls failed.
Mall Collapse and Explosion
Emergency services confirmed the second floor of the Aeon Mall in Kashima town collapsed. An explosion or blast occurred after the initial shaking. White smoke rose. Aerial images showed exposed steel beams, debris scattered across the parking lot, and large sections of the exterior torn away.
Police sources told local broadcasters that “quite a few” people were presumed dead inside the mall. Firefighters reported many still trapped. An Aeon spokesperson said staff and customers began evacuating immediately after the first shock, yet the exact cause of the blast remained unclear. One nearby resident described a huge impact and ash-like dust falling over the area.
Injuries, Fires and Disruption
Hospitals in Hikawa and Kumamoto city treated more than 50 injured people, with at least one reported unconscious. Additional casualties came from a derailed train and falling objects. Fires broke out in several buildings. Cracks split roads and an elevated highway. Power failed for roughly 48,000 homes.
A traditional house collapsed in Kumamoto City after a powerful 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck Japan pic.twitter.com/UkUiGxWqpx
— Surajit (@surajit_ghosh2) July 28, 2026
Japan Hit by Powerful 7.1 Earthquake, At Least 50 Injured..
— Ayman Mat News (@AymanMatNews) July 28, 2026
A powerful 7.1-magnitude #earthquake struck #Kumamoto Prefecture on #Japan's southern island of Kyushu on Tuesday, causing widespread damage, power outages, and prompting mass evacuations, Authorities briefly issued a… pic.twitter.com/6yKW8DDvdt
Authorities ordered about 300,000 residents into evacuation centres. Rail services, including the Kyushu Shinkansen, stopped. Kumamoto Airport closed its runway. Mobile networks suffered outages. The Self-Defense Forces began deploying 3,600 personnel for search and rescue.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told reporters the full scale of casualties and damage was still under assessment. “We have already been informed that people have been injured,” she said. “Power outages and fires have occurred in some areas, and there has also been damage to roads and bridges and the collapse of buildings.”
A short-lived tsunami advisory for the Ariake and Yatsushiro seas was lifted within hours. No irregularities were reported at nuclear facilities.
Echoes of 2016
The same region suffered twin earthquakes in 2016 that killed more than 270 people. Officials warned residents to expect strong aftershocks for up to a week and to watch for landslides. The latest quake occurred near the Hinagu fault zone linked to the earlier disaster.
Rescue work continued into the evening under the risk of further tremors and summer heat. Human lives, the prime minister stressed, come first.