Part of a large shopping mall lies collapsed in Kumamoto, Japan, on July 28.KYODO/YONHAP
Thirteen have been confirmed dead after a magnitude 7.1 earthquake hit the southwestern Kumamoto Prefecture of Japan on Tuesday.
"Some people are still waiting to be rescued, and rescue operations have become a race against time," Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said at an emergency news conference Wednesday morning, adding that the government would work closely with local police and fire authorities and devote all available resources to saving as many lives as possible.
Authorities were still assessing the full extent of the damage, which included casualties, collapsed buildings, fires and damaged roads, according to Takaichi. Large-scale power and water outages had also been reported in the affected areas — outages the government would work to restore as quickly as possible.
The prime minister offered her condolences to the victims and expressed sympathy for their families and those injured.
"Residents in the affected areas, including those taking part in rescue operations, should take precautions against heat-related illnesses amid the hot weather," she said. "The government will work to supply daily necessities, emergency generators and cooling products."
The earthquake struck off the southern Japanese island of Kyushu at 4:27 p.m Tuesday. The epicenter was about 23 kilometers (14 miles) south of Kumamoto city, the capital of the prefecture of the same name, and the quake registered a maximum seismic intensity of 7 — the top of the Japan Meteorological Agency's scale — in the city and surrounding areas. It was the first earthquake of comparable strength in the region since April 2016. Tremors were also felt in the southern regions of Korea and eastern China.
A television in a building in Osaka shows news coverage of a magnitude 7.1 earthquake that struck Kumamoto, Japan, on the afternoon of July 28.KYODO/YONHAP
“Please take steps to protect yourselves, including evacuating to a safe place,” Takaichi said.
The Japan Meteorological Agency issued tsunami advisories for the Ariake and Yatsushiro seas along the coasts of the Fukuoka, Saga, Nagasaki and Kumamoto prefectures after the quake. The advisories were lifted at around 6:10 p.m. the same day.
No abnormalities were detected in safety systems or radiation monitoring levels at Kyushu Electric Power’s Sendai and Genkai nuclear power plants or Shikoku Electric Power’s Ikata plant. Employees at TSMC’s Kumamoto plant reportedly evacuated from the building immediately after the earthquake.
“No damage has been reported at the TSMC plant so far,” chief cabinet secretary Minoru Kihara said that afternoon.
A red mark on a map indicates the location where a magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck near Kumamoto in southern Japan on July 28.KOREA METEOROLOGICAL AGENCY
Buildings collapsed and fires and power outages were reported across Kumamoto Prefecture, where strong shaking was recorded. Several sections of the stone walls at Kumamoto Castle collapsed, and an explosion occurred at the Aeon Mall shopping center in the town of Kashima.
“A loud bang was heard about 20 to 30 minutes after the earthquake, and a blast-like impact came from the direction of the mall,” a witness told the Asahi Shimbun.
Many people were presumed to be trapped inside the mall, with around 20 to 30 employees unable to be reached, NHK reported.
Multiple deaths were believed to have occurred at the site, according to a Kumamoto prefectural police official cited by TBS. Police and other authorities have not released an official death toll for the mall.
In Yatsushiro, one person was killed after a house collapsed.
No Korean casualties had been confirmed as of Wednesday noon, according to the Korean Consulate General in Fukuoka.
Furniture and equipment lie toppled in Kumamoto Health Science University in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan, after a magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck the region on July 28, in this photo provided by a reader.JOONGANG ILBO
People crowd a local convenience store around Kumamoto, southern Japan, on July 28, in this photo provided by a reader.JOONGANG ILBO
Transportation was also disrupted. All Kyushu Shinkansen high-speed rail services were suspended, many conventional rail services were halted and All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines canceled all flights to and from Kumamoto Airport.
Nearly 800 reports of tremors being felt were filed across Korea. Busan accounted for the largest number with 291, followed by South Gyeongsang with 215 — including 95 in Changwon — Ulsan with 125 and North Gyeongsang with 69.
The quake registered a maximum seismic intensity of III on the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale in Busan, South Gyeongsang and Jeju, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration, a level at which tremors are felt by many people indoors and can cause parked vehicles to shake slightly.
People evacuate from a building near Haeundae, Busan, on July 28, in this photo provided by a reader.YONHAP
“A sign on the building was shaking, and it went on for quite a while,” said an office worker in Centum City, Haeundae District, Busan. “I was inside the building but was startled and ran outside.”
No damage was reported in Korea, and the possibility of a tsunami reaching the country remained very low. Aftershocks continued following the powerful earthquake, however, and authorities urged caution.
“Tremors may be felt in some parts of the country,” an official at the Korea Meteorological Administration said. “People should remain alert and take safety precautions.”
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
