A powerful magnitude 7.1 earthquake has struck Japan’s southern Kumamoto Prefecture on the island of Kyushu, leaving thousands of homes without electricity, damaging roads and key infrastructure, and triggering a major explosion at a shopping mall where several people are feared to have been killed or trapped. Dozens of people were reported injured or missing after the strong tremors, as emergency teams launched rescue operations and authorities warned residents to remain alert for powerful aftershocks in the coming days. The worst incident occurred at a major shopping complex in Kumamoto, where an explosion following the earthquake caused part of the building to collapse, trapping an unknown number of people inside. Initial investigations suggest the blast may have been caused by a gas leak triggered by the earthquake. Rescue workers are continuing operations to search through the debris and locate survivors. Local hospitals have treated more than 100 injured people, including several patients in serious condition. Following the disaster, Japanese authorities instructed around 300,000 residents to move to evacuation centres, while hundreds of members of the Self-Defense Forces were deployed to support rescue and recovery efforts. High-speed bullet trains and local railway services across Kyushu were suspended for safety inspections, while operations at Kumamoto Airport were temporarily halted. Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority confirmed that no abnormalities had been detected at three nearby nuclear power plants. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi urged people in affected areas to protect themselves and follow evacuation guidance, saying the government was working to assess the full extent of the damage as quickly as possible. The earthquake also affected major industrial facilities in the region, including plants operated by global technology companies such as TSMC, Sony and Fujifilm, which began safety inspections and impact assessments. Located along the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, Japan remains one of the world’s most earthquake-prone countries, with frequent seismic activity. Authorities have warned that strong aftershocks could continue, while rescue teams remain engaged in efforts to save lives, restore essential services and assess the scale of destruction caused by one of the strongest earthquakes to hit the region in recent years.
Japan hit by 7.1 magnitude earthquake: Landslides, explosions and massive rescue operation
