• Earthquake hits: A 6.8-magnitude earthquake which hit Japan’s southern Kumamoto prefecture has left many people trapped after a shopping mall partially collapsed, public broadcaster NHK reports. Several are also reportedly unaccounted for at a paper factory, a highway bridge has buckled, and at least one other building to collapse
• Dozens injured:One hospital had reported more than 50 injuries, NHK said. Several people on a high-speed train at the time of the quake were also injured
• Tremor warning: Residents in the areas that felt the biggest tremors must beware of further strong quakes for about a week as well as the risk of landslides, an official for the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said
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The powerful 6.8-magnitude earthquake in Kumamoto prefecture rattled a region still marked by one of the country’s deadliest recent disasters
In 2016, a series of devastating earthquakes killed 275 people and injured thousands more across the prefecture. The disaster also caused widespread devastation, with more than 200,000 homes affected and economic losses estimated at several trillion yen, making it one of Japan’s costliest natural disasters in recent decades
Among the most visible symbols of the destruction was Kumamoto Castle, one of Japan’s most famous landmarks and a major tourist attraction. The centuries-old fortress suffered severe damage, with sections of its stone walls collapsing and parts of its structures badly affected. Restoration was expected to take decades
Tuesday’s earthquake has now caused further damage to the historic site, dealing another blow to a landmark that was still recovering over a decade after the 2016 disaster
School children wearing padded hoods to protect them from falling debris, take part in an earthquake simulation drill at an elementary school in Tokyo on August 31, 2018.
Japan is one of the world’s most earthquake-prone countries, where minor tremors occur on average every five minutes
While most are too small to cause significant damage, the country remains haunted by memories of the devastating magnitude 9.0 earthquake and tsunami that struck its northeast coast in March 2011. That disaster left around 18,500 people dead or missing and triggered the Fukushima nuclear crisis, the world’s worst nuclear accident since Chernobyl in 1986
Since then, Japan has significantly strengthened its disaster preparedness. It’s invested billions of dollars in rebuilding the worst-hit areas, bolstering tsunami defences, strengthening building standards, expanding sophisticated earthquake and tsunami monitoring systems, and improving nationwide evacuation planning and drills
The crowded Hakata JR station is seen in Fukuoka, Japan, after rail operations were suspended due to an earthquake on Tuesday.
Rail services have been greatly disrupted, and the airport in Kumamoto has canceled all flights for the rest of the day following the earthquake
Flights are scheduled to resume on Wednesday but the airport, which hosts both international and domestic routes, urged passengers to check before they travel
Services on several railway lines have been suspended for the rest of the day too
Several people are feared trapped in a shopping mall after a 6.8-magnitude earthquake hit Japan’s southern Kumamoto prefecture
Here are some of the latest images we’re seeing from the area
Aeon Mall is damaged after an explosion occurred following an earthquake in Kumamoto on Tuesday.
The collapsed stone walls of Kumamoto Castle are seen in Kumamoto City on Tuesday.
A collapsed section of a bridge is seen in Kumamoto.
People wait in a park after evacuating buildings following an earthquake in Kumamoto City.
A residential building burns after an earthquake in Kumamoto.
A collapsed chimney is seen at a Nippon paper factory after an earthquake in Yatsushiro, Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan, July 28.
Several people are reportedly unaccounted for at a Nippon paper factory, which sustained extensive damage in an earthquake, Japan’s public broadcaster NHK reported
Emergency services are still working to confirm those reports, NHK said. Images showed that one of the factory’s chimneys collapsed
Nippon is still “gathering information on whether there are any casualties, but we are concerned because we have not been able to make contact,” a company employee told NHK
Firefighters walk through the parking lot at Aeon Mall following an explosion in Kumamoto on July 28.
Twenty to 30 employees cannot be contacted after a shopping mall partially collapsed in an explosion after a large earthquake struck the Japanese city of Kumamoto, the country’s public broadcaster NHK reported, citing police
Police are still working to confirm whether they are trapped inside the building. Most customers were evacuated once the earthquake hit but emergency services are still trying to establish whether any customers are missing too, NHK said
Firefighters have arrived at the scene but cannot enter the building from the first floor, hindering their rescue operations, NHK added
This post has been updated with additional information
<img src="https://todaytrendnews7.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/41091371-79207908-generated-thumbnail.jpg" alt="<p>Aerial footage shows burning buildings and an overturned train in Kumamoto after earthquake</p>”>
Aerial footage shows burning buildings and an overturned train in Kumamoto, Japan after earthquake
0:28• Source:
CNN
Aerial footage shows burning buildings and an overturned train in Kumamoto, Japan after earthquake
0:28
Firefighters were seen trying to extinguish large flames rising from a burning building in Kumamoto after a 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck southern Japan
Separately, the video above shows an overturned freight engine, which has rolled off the railway tracks. CNN cannot confirm if these incidents were caused by the earthquake
Kumamoto is situated in southern Japan, about 55 miles (90 kilometers) east of Nagasaki
The 7.1-magnitude earthquake has trapped people inside a partially collapsed shopping mall, knocked out power to thousands of homes, and ruptured roads
More than 46,000 households in the area are currently without power after the earthquake though the number seems to be decreasing, indicating that some power is being restored
The company says it has established an emergency response unit to help restore power
However, the Sendai nuclear power station, which is situated about 100 kilometers (62 miles) from the earthquake’s epicenter, hasn’t sustained any damage, according to the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency which cited information from Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority
In 2011, another earthquake in Japan triggered the world’s second-worst nuclear accident when tsunami waves severely damaged the Fukushima nuclear power station
An aerial view shows the damaged Aeon Mall shopping centre after an explosion which occured after an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.1 struck Japan’s southern Kumamoto prefecture, on Tuesday.
Many people are trapped inside a shopping mall that partially collapsed in an explosion after a large 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck the Japanese city of Kumamoto on Tuesday, according to Japan’s public broadcaster NHK
It is unclear how many people were trapped inside when the second floor of the building collapsed, NHK reported, citing fire officials. About 50 people were injured in the earthquake, NHK reported
The earthquake struck the city of Kumamoto, about 55 miles (90 kilometers) east of Nagasaki in southern Japan, on Tuesday afternoon local time, causing a highway bridge to buckle, and at least one other building to collapse
In their initial estimate, local police said nine people were unaccounted for but Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi stressed to reporters the number of casualties and extent of the damage was unclear and still being assessed, Reuters reported
