A 6.8 magnitude earthquake struck southern Japan on Tuesday, leaving at least five people dead and nine missing as rescue crews navigate wreckage and power outages. The tremor, which occurred at 4:27 p.m. in the Kumamoto prefecture on Kyushu island, reached a maximum intensity of 7 on the Japanese shindo scale. Hundreds of people have been injured, and tens of thousands remain without access to electricity or water.
Military forces have deployed 3,600 personnel and 20 aircraft to assist in disaster relief efforts. First responders from neighboring prefectures arrived on Tuesday evening to aid in the search for survivors. Among the primary search sites is a paper mill in Yatsushiro, where a chimney collapse left two workers in cardiac arrest and nine others unaccounted for. The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) has issued warnings that the area remains vulnerable to further seismic activity and landslides for approximately one week, noting that more than 60 aftershocks ranging from magnitude 1 to 4 have already been recorded.
Infrastructure has suffered significant damage, with nearly 50,000 households losing power and 140,000 without water. With temperatures expected to exceed 30 degrees Celsius and high humidity, officials are concerned about heatstroke risks for those without air conditioning. Many residents spent the night in their vehicles due to fears of additional tremors. While a tsunami warning was issued shortly after the initial quake, it was lifted within two hours.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi confirmed that authorities are assessing damage to roads, bridges, and buildings, urging citizens to prioritize their safety and relocate to designated evacuation centers. Approximately 300,000 people have been instructed to evacuate. Local hospitals are struggling with power failures and damaged equipment while treating over 350 injured individuals. Medical staff reported that many patients are arriving with burns and fractures caused by falling objects.
Despite the high intensity of the quake, Japan’s strict construction standards and earthquake-resistant technologies, such as foundations set on rollers, prevented widespread structural failure. However, footage from NHK showed partial collapses, fires, and large fissures on major roads, including an elevated highway. Transportation has been severely disrupted, with JR Kyushu suspending bullet train services and Kumamoto airport closing its runway. Telecom operators KDDI and NTT Docomo reported service outages, though the nuclear regulation authority confirmed no irregularities at area nuclear power plants. Major corporations including TSMC, Sony, and Fujifilm have evacuated their local factory workers.
The Geospatial Information Authority of Japan noted significant crustal movement, measuring 84cm in Yatsushiro and 40cm in Kumamoto city. Japan, situated along the Pacific “ring of fire,” accounts for approximately 20% of the world’s earthquakes of magnitude 6 or greater, leaving the nation highly sensitive to seismic events following the devastating 2011 disaster.
An Aeon spokesperson said customers and employees were evacuated after the initial quake and the cause of the explosion remained unclear. A government official told reporters that Aeon Kumamoto reported a gas leak, thoughthe cause had not yet been determined.
Chiharu Hara, a 35-year-old recruitment agent who was in Kumamoto, told AFP that she was “terrified” when the quake struck. “The office swayed violently side to side. I was afraid it would collapse. Everyone panicked,” Hara said.
