A magnitude 7.1 earthquake shook the Kumamoto prefecture on Tuesday, located on the island of Kyushu in southwestern Japan, leaving at least 50 people hospitalized and partially collapsing a shopping center, along with other damages, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA).
The earthquake occurred at 16:27 local time (07:27 GMT), with the epicenter located on the seabed about 10 kilometers deep off the coast of Kumamoto.
The Japanese seismic scale Shindo recorded a maximum level of 7 in the areas of Uki and Hikawa, and level 6 in surrounding areas.
At 5:08 PM local time, an aftershock of magnitude 6.1 occurred, also in Kumamoto and at a shallow depth.
Collapsed shopping center and people trapped
One of the most serious incidents was the partial collapse of the Aeon Mall shopping center in the city of Kashima.
“The second floor of the mall collapsed, leaving many people trapped inside,” the Fire Department reported in a statement, according to ABC.
The police also received reports of a loud explosion in the area.
Television images showed buildings on fire or collapsed, cracks in elevated highways, and a derailed freight train.
However, it has drawn attention - compared to the double earthquake in Venezuela - how some buildings, despite swaying visibly, remained standing. This is because in Japan, buildings are constructed under strict seismic regulations.
Impact on infrastructure and services
Kyushu Electric Power reported between 40,000 and 48,000 households without electricity supply.
The railway company JR Kyushu suspended all its services, including the Shinkansen bullet trains, and Kumamoto airport closed its runway.
TSMC, the largest contract chip manufacturer in the world, evacuated its workers from the plant in the area as a precaution, while Sony reported that it was assessing the situation of its facilities.
The earthquake was felt even in areas of South Korea, including the port city of Busan.
The Nuclear Regulation Authority confirmed that no irregularities were detected at the Sendai (Kagoshima) and Genkai (Saga) power plants, which was a relief given the precedent of the Fukushima accident in 2011.
Tsunami alert lifted
After the main earthquake, authorities issued a tsunami alert for seven prefectures in Kyushu - Kumamoto, Nagasaki, Kagoshima, Fukuoka, Saga, Oita, and Miyazaki - anticipating waves of up to one meter in the Ariake Bay.
The warning was lifted later: the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, part of the United States, ruled out any tsunami threat for the Japanese coast.
Authorities ordered the evacuation of more than 150,000 people to shelter centers and warned about possible aftershocks of similar magnitude for approximately one week.
The government's response
The Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi confirmed injuries, building collapses, fires, and damage to roads and bridges.
“We have been informed that there are injured individuals,” he stated at a press conference.
“We are making people’s lives our top priority,” emphasized Takaichi, who announced the establishment of a government task force to coordinate information gathering and potential rescue operations.
Japan accounts for approximately 20% of the world's earthquakes of magnitude 6.0 or higher.
The Kumamoto Prefecture holds a painful recent memory: in April 2016, a series of earthquakes resulted in 275 deaths and 2,739 injuries and thousands of buildings destroyed, including the historic castle of the city.
Authorities are still working to determine the full extent of the damage caused by the recent earthquake.
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