A major earthquake rocks Japan, prompting tsunami warnings
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July 28, 2026, 3:54 AM EDT / Updated July 28, 2026, 4:41 AM EDT
By Chantal Da Silva and Mithil Aggarwal
A major earthquake hit southern Japan on Tuesday, derailing a train, injuring dozens and triggering a regional tsunami warning
The Japan Meteorological Agency said the earthquake, with a preliminary magnitude of 7.1 and depth of 10 kilometers, or just over 6 miles, was at the highest end of the seismic intensity scale
Japan’s Cabinet Office’s Disaster Management Division said the earthquake struck at around 4:27 p.m. local time (3:27 a.m. ET), with a tsunami advisory issued for the Ariake and Yatsushiro Seas minutes later.The warning was later lifted, state broadcaster NHK reported
Several buildings were damaged in the quake, videos from the region showed. At least 12 houses collapsed and least 50 people were injured
NHK broadcast aerial footage showing a derailed cargo train, collapsed smoketowers at an industrial plant in Yatsushiro and a small building on fire. It also showed the ceiling of a large commercial facility and mall in Kumamoto prefecture had collapsed entirely, leaving bare its internal structure. Pillars holding a shrine had also collapsed
Train services around the Kyushu island were suspended, rail operator JR Kyushu said
Japan experiences tremors — both minor and major — almost every day, making it one of the most earthquake-prone countries in the world. The East Asian country sits on the “Ring of Fire,” where several tectonic plates converge, triggering many of the world’s earthquakes and volcanic eruptions
Nearly 20% of global earthquakes measuring 6.0 or higher occur in Japan. Since 2011, when a 9.0-magnitude earthquake and tsunami triggered meltdowns at three reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, Japan has significantly strengthened its earthquake warning systems and evacuation protocols
In Yatsushiro, a verified video showed that a rupture on the Kyushu expressway had trapped vehicles. NHK showed aerial images of an elevated stretch of the highway where two sections had become misaligned
An X account appearing to belong to the tourist attraction saidthat its operations would be suspended for at least the rest of Tuesday “due to the impact” of the earthquake
Video published online and geolocated by NBC News appeared to show part of the outer walls of the Kumamoto Castle, a popular tourist destination in the area, damaged and surrounded by a cloud of dust
The temblor struck just over a decade after the castle was also damaged in thedeadly earthquakes that rocked the area in 2016
Livecam video published online also appeared to show buildings shaking in Kumamoto City
The National Weather Service said there was no tsunami warning, advisory, watch or threat in place for Hawaii or American Samoa
Kyushu Electric Power said it had not found any abnormalities at either the Genkai Nuclear Power Station in Saga Prefecture or the Sendai Nuclear Power Station in Kagoshima Prefecture, NHK reported. The radiation levels around the stations have also not changed, it said
