Japan earthquake: ‘Considerable’ number of people reported dead in Kumamoto mall after earthquake
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- PM Sanae Takaichi confirmed the July 28 earthquake collapsed buildings and sparked fires in southwestern Japan, with NHK reporting at least 50 people hospitalized and at least 12 houses collapsed.
- The earthquake struck Kyushu at 4:27 p.m. at magnitude 7.1 (JMA) or 6.8 (USGS), reaching the maximum level seven on Japan's Shindo intensity scale.
- TBS reported a 'considerable number' of deaths at a Kashima shopping mall where a floor collapsed and trapped many people inside, though police told AFP they could not confirm fatalities.
- NHK footage showed multiple blazes, damaged bridges, a derailed cargo train, and cracked roads across the affected region.
- The Japan Meteorological Agency issued then withdrew a tsunami advisory for waves up to one metre, and the Nuclear Regulation Authority reported no abnormalities at nuclear plants in the region.
- Kyushu Electric Power said roughly 45,000 households lost power in Kumamoto, with three operating nuclear reactors in the area functioning normally.
- Kumamoto was devastated by twin earthquakes in 2016 — magnitudes 6.5 and 7.3 — that killed 273 people and injured more than 2,800, the same region hit by Tuesday's quake.
Why it matters: Kumamoto was devastated by twin 2016 earthquakes that killed 273 people, and Tuesday's tremor hit the same region with comparable magnitude. With 45,000 households without power, a collapsed mall trapping 'many,' and at least 50 hospitalized, PM Takaichi's government faces restoring infrastructure and confirming casualty counts within the first 24 hours.
