At least 13 people have been killed and dozens injured after a powerful earthquake struck Japan’s southwestern island of Kyushu, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi
said on Wednesday, as emergency teams continued searching for missing people. A magnitude 7.1 earthquake hit the Kumamoto region at 16:27 local time on Tuesday, causing buildings to collapse, triggering fires and leaving thousands without power and water. "Many other people were injured or still missing," Takaichi said, as rescue operations continued through the night. The earthquake, which recorded the maximum level of 7 on Japan’s shindo seismic intensity scale, struck about 900 km southwest of Tokyo. Shopping Centre Collapses, Factory Chimney Falls Authorities said a section of a shopping centre collapsed after what appeared to be a gas leak, while a large chimney at a paper factory also fell. At the Nippon Paper Industries plant in Yatsushiro, two workers were found and taken to hospital in a state of cardiac arrest, while nine others remained missing, according to reports. An explosion was also reported at an Aeon shopping mall in Kumamoto prefecture shortly after the quake. The shopping centre, which houses around 200 stores, was evacuated after the initial tremor. Two women in their 20s were confirmed dead in the incident, while another person suffered cardiac arrest.
An Aeon spokesperson said the cause of the explosion remained unclear. A government official said the mall had reported a gas leak, although the cause had not been determined.
Thousands Evacuated as Aftershocks Continue
The Fire and Disaster Management Agency said more than 260,000 people were advised to evacuate, mainly in Kumamoto prefecture and neighbouring Nagasaki prefecture.
A tsunami warning issued immediately after the earthquake was lifted around two hours later. The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) warned that areas hit hardest by the quake could face further strong tremors and landslides for around a week.
More than 60 aftershocks, ranging from magnitude 1 to 4, have already been recorded. Nearly 50,000 households were without electricity late on Tuesday, while around 140,000 had lost access to water.
Japan’s defence ministry said 3,600 military personnel had been deployed for disaster relief, with 20 aircraft sent to assess the damage from above.
Hundreds of emergency responders from nearby prefectures also arrived in the affected areas. Hospitals in the region have treated hundreds of patients, with more than 350 people receiving medical attention, according to local reports.
"People are coming in with burns and fractures from being trapped under objects due to the earthquake, and ambulances are constantly bringing in injured people," an employee at one hospital told NHK. "Inside the hospital, there are water leaks and electrical system failures."
Telecom companies KDDI and NTT Docomo reported disruptions to mobile services due to power shortages and damage to transmission lines. Several major companies, including chipmaker TSMC, Sony and Fujifilm, evacuated workers from factories in the region as a precaution.
Prime Minister Takaichi urged residents to remain alert and follow safety instructions. "We have already been informed that people have been injured. Power outages and fires have occurred in some areas, and there has also been damage to roads and bridges and the collapse of buildings," she said. "I ask everyone to take action to protect themselves, including evacuating to a safe location."
