About 20 to 30 mall employees remained unaccounted for as rescue crews searched damaged buildings across Kumamoto Prefecture.
TOKYO — A powerful earthquake struck Japan’s southern island of Kyushu on Tuesday, partially collapsing a large shopping mall, trapping people inside and causing fires, blackouts and severe transportation disruptions across Kumamoto Prefecture.
The Japan Meteorological Agency measured the earthquake at magnitude 7.1 after it struck at 4:27 p.m. July 28. The U.S. Geological Survey later revised its estimate from 7.1 to 6.8. Japanese officials temporarily issued a tsunami advisory for coastal areas along the Ariake and Yatsushiro seas, but lifted it within two hours after no tsunami was detected.
One of the most serious emergencies unfolded at the Aeon Mall in Kashima, where part of the second floor collapsed after the earthquake. Fire officials said many people were trapped, while public broadcaster NHK reported that about 20 to 30 mall employees were unaccounted for. Emergency crews, ambulances and fire engines surrounded the damaged shopping complex as rescuers searched for survivors.
Police received reports of an explosion at the mall after customers and employees were evacuated following the initial shaking. The mall’s operator said the cause of the reported blast remained unclear. Authorities were investigating whether leaking gas may have ignited, but officials had not announced a final determination.
Local news reports cited police as saying that multiple deaths were feared at the mall. Those reports had not been fully confirmed Tuesday, and officials warned that establishing an accurate casualty count would take time. Footage from the scene showed one side of the large shopping center torn open, exposing structural beams and scattering debris across its parking area.
At least one death was reported elsewhere in the region after a house collapsed near the earthquake’s epicenter. Hospitals treated dozens of injured people, including some with serious injuries. Authorities also responded to damaged homes, cracked roads, fires and bridge failures across the prefecture as strong aftershocks continued.
Several people were reported missing after a chimney collapsed at a Nippon Paper Industries factory in Yatsushiro. The company and emergency crews were assessing the industrial site, and authorities had not released a confirmed number of people trapped or injured there.
About 300,000 residents were instructed to move to evacuation centers, according to Reuters. Japanese military personnel were deployed to assist with rescue work and damage assessments. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said the government had established an emergency task force and sent an investigative team to the affected region.
Nearly 50,000 homes and other properties lost electricity in Kumamoto during the first hours after the earthquake. Kyushu Electric Power said operating nuclear reactors in the region continued functioning normally, while Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority reported no abnormalities at three nearby nuclear power plants.
The earthquake disrupted transportation throughout Kyushu. Bullet trains and local rail service were suspended for inspections, and a train derailed at Yatsushiro station. Flights were diverted, and Aso Kumamoto Airport closed its runway after reports that people had become trapped in elevators. Officials did not immediately say when normal service would resume.
Kumamoto Castle also suffered damage to its stone walls. The historic site was heavily damaged during major earthquakes in 2016 and remained the subject of long-term restoration work. Those earlier earthquakes killed more than 50 people directly, while additional deaths were later linked to injuries and displacement.
Officials warned residents to remain alert for strong aftershocks, landslides and further building collapses. Rescue teams continued searching the mall and other damaged locations Tuesday night as authorities worked to confirm the number of dead, injured and missing.