A magnitude 7.1 earthquake that struck southwestern Japan on Tuesday has claimed one life, with dozens injured and missing.
This is reported by Kyodo, according to Ukrinform.
It is noted that the country’s authorities were trying to assess the extent of the damage amidst reports of collapsed buildings, fires, power outages, and disruptions to road traffic.
Following the earthquake, an explosion occurred at a shopping center managed by Aeon Co. in Kumamoto Prefecture. According to local authorities, there are fears that many people remain trapped, and 10 are considered missing after the collapse of the second floor of the building.
The explosion occurred after the evacuation of about 200 people, but according to police and an eyewitness, several individuals were seen returning to the building.
Varias personas perdieron la vida y 30 permanecen atrapadas luego de una explosión que afectó un gran centro comercial de la ciudad de Kashima, en la prefectura suroccidental japonesa de Kumamoto, después de que un #Terremoto de magnitud 7,1 sacudieron Japón pic.twitter.com/ZLPQHO2NV0
— ClarOscuro Noticias (@ClarOscuroNews) July 28, 2026
A smokestack collapsed at a plant owned by Nippon Paper Industries Co. According to the government of Kumamoto Prefecture, two people were found unconscious at the paper mill, and nine others remain missing.
One person was confirmed dead after being taken to the hospital from a collapsed house in a coastal town.
A freight train operated by Japan Freight Railway Co. derailed and overturned at Yatsushiro Station, but the driver was unharmed.
Power outages affected approximately 48,000 households in the southwestern prefecture, while 140,000 households were left without water.
The earthquake also impacted businesses. Honda Motor Co. expects operations at its Kumamoto plant to be suspended until Wednesday evening.
Toyota Motor Corp. halted operations at its three plants in Fukuoka on Tuesday, and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. evacuated employees from its Kumamoto facility.
Ten years ago, the Kumamoto Prefecture was hit by two consecutive earthquakes of magnitude 6.5 and 7.3, which then claimed the lives of 270 people.
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As Ukrinform reported, an earthquake of magnitude 7.1 occurred in the southern Japanese prefecture of Kumamoto, resulting in at least 50 people injured, widespread power outages, and transport disruptions.
Photo: kyodo