Key facts
- A 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan.
- The quake registered the highest seismic intensity of 7 in Uki and Hikawa.
- Tsunami advisories were issued for the Ariake and Yatsushiro seas but later lifted.
- Multiple injuries, fires, and a power outage affecting 48,000 households were reported.
- Damage includes collapsed buildings, damaged roads, a collapsed castle wall, and a destroyed footbridge.
- Transportation services, including airport operations and train lines, were suspended.
A powerful earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.1 struck southwestern Japan's Kumamoto Prefecture on Tuesday, registering the highest level of 7 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale in several areas. The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) issued tsunami advisories for the Ariake and Yatsushiro seas, which were later lifted. The quake's focus was in Kumamoto Prefecture at a depth of about 10 kilometers.
Many people are trapped inside an Aeon Mall shopping centre after the earthquake, with contact lost with 20 to 30 employees. A witness reported seeing an explosion and smoke at the mall, with the second floor collapsing. The fire and disaster management agency confirmed the collapse of a commercial facility's second floor.
Elsewhere in Kumamoto, people are reported missing at the Nippon Paper Industries Yatsushiro Plant after a chimney collapsed. Historic walls at the 17th-century Kumamoto castle also tumbled. A footbridge in the region collapsed. More than 48,000 households are without power, and roads have been damaged. Over 60 aftershocks ranging from magnitude 1 to 4 have been recorded.
No abnormalities were reported at the Sendai or Genkai nuclear power plants. Operations were suspended at Aso Kumamoto Airport and on all JR Kyushu train lines.