Rescue teams are searching through collapsed buildings and industrial wreckage after a powerful earthquake struck Japan’s southern island of Kyushu, killing at least 13 people and injuring hundreds. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi described the operation as a “race against time” as emergency workers attempted to reach people believed to be trapped beneath the rubble.
Military joins the rescue operation
Thousands of Self-Defense Forces personnel have been deployed across Kumamoto prefecture, supported by police, firefighters and specialist rescue teams from neighbouring regions.
Military aircraft were sent to survey the affected area from the air, while approximately 170 soldiers joined the search at the partially collapsed Aeon Mall in Kashima, near Kumamoto city.
The shopping centre, which contains about 200 shops, was severely damaged by an explosion approximately one hour after the earthquake. One side of the building was torn away, exposing steel beams and scattering debris across the surrounding car park.
Eight people were pulled from the wreckage, including two women in their 20s who were confirmed dead. Between 20 and 30 employees were initially reported unaccounted for, although authorities were still working to determine how many had safely left the building before the explosion.
Officials said rescuers had detected the smell of gas inside the mall, but the precise cause of the explosion remained under investigation.
Workers missing at paper mill
A second major rescue operation was under way at a Nippon Paper Industries factory in Yatsushiro, where a large chimney collapsed during the earthquake.
At least seven workers were reported missing and four others seriously injured. Emergency teams were using heavy equipment while carefully removing debris from the industrial site.
The earthquake struck on Tuesday afternoon with its epicentre about 20 kilometres south of Kumamoto city. The Japan Meteorological Agency measured the quake at magnitude 7.1, while the US Geological Survey later revised its estimate from 7.1 to 6.8.
It reached the maximum level of 7 on Japan’s shindo intensity scale, which measures the strength of shaking experienced at specific locations rather than the total energy released by an earthquake.
More than 60 aftershocks were recorded by Wednesday morning. Authorities warned that further powerful tremors and landslides could occur during the coming week.
Thousands spend the night in shelters
More than 9,000 people sought refuge in 506 evacuation centres across five prefectures, while approximately 260,000 residents were instructed to evacuate.
Tens of thousands of homes remained without electricity, and large areas also suffered interruptions to water, gas and mobile telephone services. With temperatures expected to reach between 34C and 35C, officials warned of an increasing danger of heatstroke.
Many residents chose to sleep in their cars because they feared returning to damaged homes during continuing aftershocks.
Hospitals were treating more than 350 people, including patients with fractures, burns and injuries caused by falling objects. Some medical facilities experienced power cuts, water leaks and damaged equipment, while one hospital suspended new admissions after becoming overwhelmed.
Roads and bridges were damaged, high-speed rail services were suspended and flights were cancelled or diverted. Sony, Honda and Tokyo Electron temporarily stopped production at facilities in the region, while TSMC evacuated its workers before beginning a gradual return to operations.
No abnormalities were reported at nuclear power stations in the affected area.
The disaster has revived memories of the 2016 Kumamoto earthquakes, which killed 275 people and damaged thousands of buildings. Some sections of Kumamoto Castle that were restored after that disaster have again suffered damage.
Newshub Editorial in Asia – July 29, 2026
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