Magnitude 7.1 earthquake strikes southwestern Japan, killing at least 13 as rescuers search collapsed shopping mall

A powerful magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck Kumamoto, Japan, on July 28, 2026, killing at least 13 people and injuring over 100. The shallow tremor triggered a gas explosion and subsequent collapse at the Aeon Mall in Kashima, where two women died, and caused a chimney collapse at a paper factory in Yatsushiro. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi deployed 3,600 military personnel to assist in rescue efforts. The disaster forced 300,000 residents to evacuate, knocked out power to 48,000 homes, and halted regional transit.

Kumamoto earthquake magnitude

• ▪The earthquake's shallow epicenter was located approximately 20 kilometers south of Kumamoto city at a depth of 10 kilometers
• ▪A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck the Kumamoto area of southwestern Japan on July 28, 2026, at 4:27 p.m. local time
• ▪The United States Geological Survey measured the earthquake's magnitude at 6.8, while the Japan Meteorological Agency measured it at 7.1

Shopping mall collapse

• ▪Rescuers extracted eight people from the collapsed Aeon Mall in Kashima, including two women in their 20s who were confirmed dead
• ▪The second floor of the Aeon Mall in Kashima collapsed following an explosion believed to have been triggered by a gas leak after the earthquake

Rescue operations

• ▪Rescuers searched the Nippon Paper Industries factory in Yatsushiro, where a collapsed chimney trapped workers under debris
• ▪Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi deployed 3,600 military personnel and 20 aircraft to assist with disaster recovery and search operations

Casualties reported

• ▪At least 100 people were injured in the earthquake, with two hospitals in Kumamoto and Yatsushiro receiving dozens of patients
• ▪At least 13 people were confirmed dead across southwestern Japan following the earthquake

Infrastructure damage

• ▪JR Kyushu suspended all train services, including high-speed bullet trains, and Kumamoto airport closed its runway following the earthquake
• ▪The earthquake knocked out power to approximately 48,000 households in the Kumamoto region and disrupted mobile phone services
• ▪The earthquake caused damage to the stone walls of the historic Kumamoto Castle, which was still undergoing repairs from a 2016 earthquake

Evacuation orders

• ▪The Japan Meteorological Agency issued a tsunami warning immediately after the earthquake, which was lifted within two hours
• ▪The disaster management agency instructed approximately 300,000 people to evacuate to emergency centers