7.1 quake jolts Japan’s Kyushu; over 50 injured in mall ‘blast’ and collapse

A powerful earthquake struck Japan's southern island of Kyushu on Tuesday (July 28) afternoon, triggering widespread damage, injuring dozens of people and prompting large-scale rescue operations. Authorities temporarily issued a tsunami advisory following the quake, but it was lifted within two hours after no tsunami was detected.

The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) measured the earthquake at magnitude 7.1, while the US Geological Survey later revised its estimate from 7.1 to 6.8. The epicentre was in Kumamoto Prefecture, with the tremors strongly felt across the region.

Mall building collapses

Emergency crews are carrying out rescue operations at the Aeon Mall in Kashima town, where a partial floor collapsed and a reported explosion left several people trapped inside. More than 50 people have been hospitalised, with injuries ranging from minor to serious, according to local media reports.

Also read: 7.5-magnitude quake hits northern Japan; tsunami alert, evacuation advisories issued

Authorities have also asked nearly 300,000 residents to evacuate to emergency shelters as a precaution amid continuing aftershocks.

Emergency task force

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said the government had established an emergency task force to coordinate rescue and relief efforts. Later, addressing reporters, she confirmed reports of injuries, damage to roads, bridges and buildings, as well as power outages and fires, although the full extent of the destruction is still being assessed.

"We are putting people's lives as the top priority," Takaichi said, urging residents in the affected areas to remain vigilant as strong aftershocks continue.

Also read: Magnitude 6.2 earthquake shakes part of northern Japan

The government has deployed around 3,600 personnel from Japan's Self-Defence Forces, while the Defence Ministry has also dispatched aircraft to survey the affected areas from the air.

Essential services disrupted

According to Kyodo News, around 40 injured people were admitted to a hospital in Yatsushiro city. A train derailed at Yatsushiro Station, while parts of the historic Kumamoto Castle sustained damage after stone walls collapsed.

The earthquake also disrupted transport and essential services across Kyushu. More than 50,000 households lost electricity, Shinkansen bullet train services and local rail operations were suspended for safety inspections, and Kumamoto Airport halted all scheduled flights after closing its runway. Authorities said there was no timeline for resuming airport operations.

The tsunami advisory covered the Ariake and Yatsushiro Seas along the western coasts of Kumamoto, Nagasaki, Fukuoka and Saga prefectures, around 900 kilometres southwest of Tokyo. However, the JMA later confirmed that no tsunami had been observed because the earthquake occurred inland.

Island country on high alert

JMA official Shinji Kiyomoto warned that the shallow quake had triggered heightened seismic activity and advised residents to remain cautious over the next two to three days due to the risk of strong aftershocks.

The Fire and Disaster Management Agency said it had received numerous emergency calls reporting fires and structural damage, although no major damage to critical public infrastructure had been confirmed. Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority also said inspections at three nearby nuclear power plants found no abnormalities.