Here's the latest
• Earthquake hits: A 6.8-magnitude earthquake which hit Japan’s southern Kumamoto prefecture has left many people trapped after a shopping mall partially collapsed, public broadcaster NHK reports. Several are also reportedly unaccounted for at a paper factory, a highway bridge has buckled, and at least one other building has collapsed.
• Several reported dead: A number of people were killed in the mall collapse, according to CNN affiliate TV Asahi, which cited police sources.
• Dozens injured: One hospital had reported more than 50 injuries, NHK said. Several people on a high-speed train at the time of the quake were also injured, according to Nikkei newspaper.
• Tremor warning: Residents in the areas that felt the biggest tremors must beware of further strong quakes for about a week as well as the risk of landslides, an official for the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said.
Hospital in Kumamoto says it is "at full capacity" after earthquake
A 400-bed hospital in Kumamoto is “already at full capacity” after today’s devastating earthquake, with dozens of people injured in the quake being treated at the facility, according to Japan’s public broadcaster NHK.
Saiseikai Kumamoto Hospital, in the city’s south, said it had temporarily suspended “pre-scheduled hospitalizations” amid the emergency response, NHK reported. “The hospital is asking people to refrain from outpatient visits on (July 29), except emergency cases,” the broadcaster added.
Adding to the pressure, the director said the hospital itself was damaged in the 6.8-magnitude quake, with water leaks and collapsed walls in several areas.
Four people rescued from Kumamoto shopping mall, authorities say
Four people have been rescued from Japan’s Aeon Mall Kumamoto, a shopping center which partially collapsed after today’s 6.8-magnitude earthquake, the country’s public broadcaster NHK said, citing local authorities.
However, NHK cited local officials as saying the whereabouts of at least 10 other people remains unknown.
Local authorities said earlier that an explosion which triggered the partial collapse of the mall may have been caused by a gas leak, after gas equipment was damaged in the quake, CNN affiliate TV Asahi reported. Investigations into the exact cause of the explosion are ongoing.
What to know as rescue efforts continue after magnitude 6.8 quake hits Kumamoto
We’re tracking the latest developments after a deadly magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck Kumamoto prefecture in southern Japan on Tuesday.
A number of people were killed in the collapse at the Aeon Mall in Kumamoto, according to CNN affiliate TV Asahi, which cited police sources. They have not confirmed the number of deaths or whether those killed were employees or customers.
Several people are also reportedly unaccounted for at a paper factory, a highway bridge has buckled, and at least one other building has collapsed.
If you’re just joining us, here’s what else you need to know:
- Another earthquake, measuring magnitude 4.1, struck Kumamoto prefecture at 12:15 a.m. Wednesday local time, according to NHK One. No tsunami warning or threat was issued. This was described as a moderate aftershock. The Japan Meteorological Agency has reported numerous aftershocks following the earthquake.
- Defense Minister Shinjirō Koizumi said that ground self-defense force units have been deployed to carry out rescue efforts, NHK One reported.
- Authorities believe an explosion at Japan’s Aeon Mall Kumamoto, which partially collapsed after the earthquake, may have been caused by a gas leak, CNN affiliate TV Asahi reported. The broadcaster cited multiple government officials saying a strong smell of gas was detected at the scene. The investigation is ongoing.
- Rail services have been greatly disrupted, and the airport in Kumamoto has canceled all flights for the rest of the day following the earthquake.
- More than 46,000 households in the area were without power, according to Kyushu Electric Power, though there are signs indicating that some service is being restored.
- Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has vowed to support those affected by the earthquake on the island of Kyushu, saying that her government will work tirelessly to respond to the emergency.
- The government has pledged to provide essential supplies such as food and water, as well as portable air conditioners and power generators to help prevent heatstroke during Japan’s hot summer months.
Japan’s PM pledges full government response after powerful earthquake
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has vowed to support those affected by Tuesday’s powerful earthquake on the island of Kyushu, saying that her government will work tirelessly to respond to the emergency.
In a post on X, she expressed her “heartfelt sympathy to all those affected by this disaster,” adding that authorities would work “through the night” to determine the extent of the damage and coordinate emergency operations, including rescue work.
The earthquake poses another challenge for Takaichi, who has been in office for less than a year and has faced declining approval ratings in recent weeks amid public frustration over rising living costs and inflation.
Speaking at a news conference Tuesday, she said the government would put “human lives first” and respond with its “full force” to support communities affected by the disaster.
The government has pledged to provide essential supplies such as food and water, as well as portable air conditioners and power generators to help prevent heatstroke during Japan’s hot summer months.
Residents in areas that experienced the strongest shaking have been urged to remain vigilant, with authorities warning that aftershocks of similar strength could occur in the coming days.
Gas leak could have caused shopping mall explosion, officials say
Authorities believe the explosion at Japan’s Aeon Mall Kumamoto, a shopping center which partially collapsed after today’s earthquake, may have been caused by a gas leak, CNN affiliate TV Asahi reported.
The broadcaster cited multiple government officials as saying a strong smell of gas was detected at the scene.
One theory is that gas equipment used by restaurants in the mall could have been “damaged by the earthquake, causing a gas leak that later ignited and exploded,” TV Asahi said.
But investigations are ongoing to determine the exact cause of the explosion at the center, where many people remain trapped.
Several people dead after shopping mall partially collapses, CNN affiliate reports
Several people were killed when a shopping mall partially collapsed in an explosion after an earthquake struck the city of Kumamoto, in southern Japan, CNN affiliate TV Asahi reported, citing police sources.
They have not confirmed the number of deaths nor whether those killed were employees or customers.
Earlier, Japan’s public broadcaster NHK reported that 20 to 30 employees at Aeon Mall Kumamoto could not be contacted after the collapse.
Dashcam footage shows a large emergency response at Aeon Mall Kumamoto
Footage posted on NHK One’s website shows a large presence of emergency crews at Aeon Mall Kumamoto.
Many people are trapped after the shopping mall partially collapsed. According to NHK One, “multiple people’s whereabouts (are) unknown.”
Earthquake rattled a region still reeling from 2016 disaster
The powerful 6.8-magnitude earthquake in Kumamoto prefecture rattled a region still marked by one of the country’s deadliest recent disasters.
In 2016, a series of devastating earthquakes killed 275 people and injured thousands more across the prefecture. The disaster also caused widespread devastation, with more than 200,000 homes affected and economic losses estimated at several trillion yen, making it one of Japan’s costliest natural disasters in recent decades.
Among the most visible symbols of the destruction was Kumamoto Castle, one of Japan’s most famous landmarks and a major tourist attraction. The centuries-old fortress suffered severe damage, with sections of its stone walls collapsing and parts of its structures badly affected. Restoration was expected to take decades.
Tuesday’s earthquake has now caused further damage to the historic site, dealing another blow to a landmark that was still recovering over a decade after the 2016 disaster.
A tremor every day: Japan is one of world's most quake-prone nations
Japan is one of the world’s most earthquake-prone countries, where minor tremors occur on average every five minutes, according to Reuters.
While most are too small to cause significant damage, the country remains haunted by memories of the devastating magnitude 9.0 earthquake and tsunami that struck its northeast coast in March 2011. That disaster left around 18,500 people dead or missing and triggered the Fukushima nuclear crisis, the world’s worst nuclear accident since Chernobyl in 1986.
Since then, Japan has significantly strengthened its disaster preparedness. It’s invested billions of dollars in rebuilding the worst-hit areas, bolstering tsunami defences, strengthening building standards, expanding sophisticated earthquake and tsunami monitoring systems, and improving nationwide evacuation planning and drills.
Rail services disrupted and airport in Kumamoto closed after earthquake
Rail services have been greatly disrupted, and the airport in Kumamoto has canceled all flights for the rest of the day following the earthquake.
Flights are scheduled to resume on Wednesday but the airport, which hosts both international and domestic routes, urged passengers to check before they travel.
Services on several railway lines have been suspended for the rest of the day too.
In pictures: Shopping mall, bridge and castle damaged as earthquake hits Kumamoto
Several people are feared trapped in a shopping mall after a 6.8-magnitude earthquake hit Japan’s southern Kumamoto prefecture.
Here are some of the latest images we’re seeing from the area.
Several people at paper factory reportedly unaccounted for after earthquake
Several people are reportedly unaccounted for at a Nippon paper factory, which sustained extensive damage in an earthquake, Japan’s public broadcaster NHK reported
Emergency services are still working to confirm those reports, NHK said. Images showed that one of the factory’s chimneys collapsed.
Nippon is still “gathering information on whether there are any casualties, but we are concerned because we have not been able to make contact,” a company employee told NHK.
20 to 30 employees cannot be contacted after shopping mall collapses
Twenty to 30 employees cannot be contacted after a shopping mall partially collapsed in an explosion after a large earthquake struck the Japanese city of Kumamoto, the country’s public broadcaster NHK reported, citing police sources.
Police are still working to confirm whether they are trapped inside the building. Most customers were evacuated once the earthquake hit but emergency services are still trying to establish whether any customers are missing too, NHK said.
Firefighters have arrived at the scene but cannot enter the building from the first floor, hindering their rescue operations, NHK added.
This post has been updated with additional information.
Aerial footage shows burning buildings and an overturned train in Kumamoto
Firefighters were seen trying to extinguish large flames rising from a burning building in Kumamoto after a 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck southern Japan.
Separately, the video above shows an overturned freight engine, which has rolled off the railway tracks. CNN cannot confirm if these incidents were caused by the earthquake.
A closer look at the Kumamoto prefecture in southern Japan
Kumamoto is situated in southern Japan, about 55 miles (90 kilometers) east of Nagasaki.
The 7.1-magnitude earthquake has trapped people inside a partially collapsed shopping mall, knocked out power to thousands of homes, and ruptured roads.
More than 46,000 households without power after strong quake
More than 46,000 households in the area are currently without power after the earthquake, according to Kyushu Electric Power, though the number seems to be decreasing, indicating that some power is being restored.
The company says it has established an emergency response unit to help restore power.
However, the Sendai nuclear power station, which is situated about 100 kilometers (62 miles) from the earthquake’s epicenter, hasn’t sustained any damage, according to the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency which cited information from Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority.
In 2011, another earthquake in Japan triggered the world’s second-worst nuclear accident when tsunami waves severely damaged the Fukushima nuclear power station.
Many people trapped inside partially collapsed shopping mall, NHK reports
Many people are trapped inside a shopping mall that partially collapsed in an explosion after a large 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck the Japanese city of Kumamoto on Tuesday, according to Japan’s public broadcaster NHK.
It is unclear how many people were trapped inside when the second floor of the building collapsed, NHK reported, citing fire officials. About 50 people were injured in the earthquake, NHK reported.
The earthquake struck the city of Kumamoto, about 55 miles (90 kilometers) east of Nagasaki in southern Japan, on Tuesday afternoon local time, causing a highway bridge to buckle, and at least one other building to collapse.
In their initial estimate, local police said nine people were unaccounted for but Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi stressed to reporters the number of casualties and extent of the damage was unclear and still being assessed, Reuters reported.
