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Japan earthquake: 13 dead after 7.1-magnitude quake hits Kumamoto, over 60 aftershocks recorded

Search and rescue operations are ongoing at the Aeon Mall shopping center in the city of Kumamoto, following a powerful 7.1-magnitude earthquake that struck southwestern Japan. The death toll has risen to 13, with fears…

Japan earthquake: 13 dead after 7.1-magnitude quake hits Kumamoto, over 60 aftershocks recorded
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Search and rescue operations are ongoing at the Aeon Mall shopping center in the city of Kumamoto, following a powerful 7.1-magnitude earthquake that struck southwestern Japan. The death toll has risen to 13, with fears that several more people remain trapped beneath the rubble.

Read also: Japan: Shocking video of explosion at shopping mall — “There are fatalities,” authorities say

Local fire authorities had announced in the early hours following the earthquake that civilians remained trapped inside the shopping mall, with reports also emerging of an explosion on the premises. According to an official from the Kumamoto Prefecture Disaster Management Division, one additional victim died of cardiac arrest, pushing the death toll higher.



Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi confirmed the rising death toll, stating that widespread destruction had been recorded across the region, including casualties, building collapses, fires, and serious damage to road infrastructure. Authorities continue to search for missing persons believed to be trapped both inside the Kumamoto shopping mall, where a section of the building collapsed, and at a paper manufacturing facility.

Earlier, Japan’s disaster management agency had announced the recovery of two women’s bodies from the shopping mall, which sustained severe damage following the collapse of one of its floors. Three additional people also lost their lives in other areas of Kumamoto Prefecture, on the island of Kyushu.

Japan: Death toll rises to 13 after 7.1-magnitude earthquake, over 60 aftershocks recorded — search for trapped survivors continues

Japan: Death toll rises to 13 after 7.1-magnitude earthquake, over 60 aftershocks recorded — search for trapped survivors continues

Japan: Death toll rises to 13 after 7.1-magnitude earthquake, over 60 aftershocks recorded — search for trapped survivors continues

Japan: Death toll rises to 13 after 7.1-magnitude earthquake, over 60 aftershocks recorded — search for trapped survivors continues

Thousands of homes left without power after 7.1-magnitude earthquake

The magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck Kumamoto Prefecture on the southern island of Kyushu late Tuesday afternoon, causing damage to buildings, roads, and bridges, while leaving thousands of homes without electricity.



The prefectural government announced that rescuers who worked through the night at Aeon Mall Kumamoto managed to free eight people from the debris.

Two women in their twenties were confirmed dead, while one additional person was in cardiopulmonary arrest. The remaining five injured were not in life-threatening condition, according to authorities.

Firefighters had reported an explosion inside the shopping mall shortly after the earthquake struck, while a government official stated there had been a report of a gas leak, though the exact cause had not yet been determined.

Footage from the scene showed that one side of the shopping mall — the largest in the prefecture with approximately 200 stores — had been destroyed, with steel beams exposed and debris scattered across the parking lot.





Ambulances and fire trucks were positioned outside the building as rescue teams continued their search for survivors.

300,000 people ordered to evacuate to emergency shelters

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi stated that authorities are still assessing the full extent of damage in the region, which was also severely struck by another deadly earthquake a decade ago. “We have already been informed that there are casualties. In some areas, power outages and fires have occurred, and there is damage to roads and bridges, as well as building collapses,” Takaichi said, urging citizens to take protective measures and move to safe locations.



The disaster management agency announced that approximately 300,000 people had been instructed to make their way to evacuation centers.



The Japan Meteorological Agency warned that areas that experienced the strongest tremors remain at risk of further powerful earthquakes and landslides for approximately one week.



Over 60 aftershocks recorded, tsunami warning lifted

According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, more than 60 aftershocks ranging from magnitude 1 to 4 have been recorded. A tsunami warning was issued immediately after the earthquake but was lifted approximately two hours later.


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