A powerful earthquake hit Kumamoto Prefecture on Kyushu on Tuesday, damaging infrastructure, trapping people in a shopping mall, and prompting a military response.
8:43 AM
A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck Kumamoto Prefecture on Japan's southern island of Kyushu on Tuesday afternoon, triggering widespread damage and emergency response operations across the region.
The earthquake caused significant structural damage, including collapsed buildings, damaged roads and bridges, and disrupted power supply to thousands of homes. A runway at Kumamoto airport was closed following the quake. Part of a highway in Kumamoto Prefecture was also damaged, according to the land ministry.
An Aeon shopping mall in Kashima Town sustained damage in the earthquake. Local police reported an explosion at the mall, and Japan's public broadcaster NHK reported that "many people" were trapped inside the damaged structure. According to local broadcaster TBS, police said "quite a few" were presumed dead in the incident at the mall.
At least 50 people were hospitalized after the earthquake, with one hospital in Hikawa, south of Kumamoto, registering more than 50 injured patients. Initial reports indicated multiple injuries across affected areas, along with fires in several locations.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said authorities were still assessing the full extent of injuries and property damage. She confirmed that there had been power cuts, fires in some areas, damage to roads and bridges, and building collapses. Takaichi announced the deployment of 3,600 military personnel to assist in rescue operations.
Aftershocks continued to be recorded following the initial quake as emergency response efforts were underway across the prefecture.
A strong earthquake centered near Calama in Antofagasta region left over 27,000 without power and caused infrastructure damage across four northern regions.
A strong earthquake hit southern Italy early Tuesday, centered offshore in the Tyrrhenian Sea near Calabria at a depth of about 250 kilometers.
A large-scale Russian strike killed five emergency workers in Kharkiv and wounded dozens in Kyiv, igniting fires at apartment buildings and a centuries-old religious site.
A 4.6-magnitude aftershock struck northern Venezuela on Monday, five days after twin earthquakes killed at least 1,450 people and left tens of thousands missing.
A massive Russian aerial attack on Kyiv overnight killed at least eight people and injured dozens more, with search and rescue operations ongoing.
Two trains collided in Bekasi late Monday, killing at least seven people and injuring dozens more, with rescuers working to free survivors trapped in wreckage.