Japan is responding to a major earthquake that has left at least 13 people dead, according to Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, as rescuers race against time to find survivors trapped in rubble according to GhanaWeb. The earthquake struck Kumamoto prefecture on Kyushu island at 16:27 local time (07:27 GMT) on Tuesday, prompting hundreds of thousands of people to move to evacuation shelters. The Japan Meteorological Agency reported the earthquake had a magnitude of 7.1, while the US Geological Survey later measured it as 6.8.
Death Toll Rises After Major Earthquake Strikes Kyushu Island
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi stated that hundreds of soldiers have been deployed to help with rescue operations as aftershocks continue to impact the area as reported by SBS. To those in areas that experienced strong shaking, the risk of building collapses and landslides remains high. Please avoid entering dangerous areas and take all precautions to ensure your safety,
Takaichi said, warning residents to remain alert for potential earthquakes with a maximum seismic intensity of 7 over the following week.
Damage Focuses on Shopping Mall and Industrial Plant
Emergency response efforts have concentrated heavily on damaged commercial and industrial sites across Kumamoto prefecture. Three people died at an Aeon shopping mall following the quake, an official from Kumamoto prefecture’s Disaster Management Division said as detailed by GhanaWeb. At least eight people were rescued from the shopping center, where a witness reported seeing an explosion and smoke after the quake and observed the second floor of the building collapse.
At the Nippon Paper Yatsushiro Plant, a chimney reportedly collapsed, and disaster management officials stated that two people at the plant were found in a state of cardiac arrest according to GhanaWeb. Across the disaster zone, authorities reported that 19 people were initially missing at the Aeon shopping mall and paper factory according to the BBC. Historic walls at the 17th-century Kumamoto castle also tumbled due to the tremors, echoing damage from a previous 7.3 magnitude quake that hit the region in 2016.
Infrastructure Disruption and Emergency Response
The disaster caused widespread disruption to regional infrastructure, leaving tens of thousands of households without electricity and halting transportation networks according to GhanaWeb. Local officials reported that 9,872 people have been evacuated, while Kyushu Electric noted that more than 40,000 households lost power according to the BBC. Japan Railways suspended train operations on Kyushu island after public broadcaster NHK reported that seven people were injured on the Kyushu Shinkansen and passengers spent the night stranded on bullet trains due to broken tracks according to GhanaWeb.
The Japan Meteorological Agency recorded more than 60 aftershocks ranging in magnitude from 1 to 4 according to the BBC. A tsunami warning was issued immediately after the initial quake but was lifted within two hours according to GhanaWeb. Emergency fire rescue teams, police, and Self-Defense Force personnel continue to coordinate search operations in areas where calls for help were received as reported by the Times of India.
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