A powerful 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck Japan’s southwestern Kumamoto Prefecture on Tuesday afternoon, killing at least 13 people and triggering extensive structural damage, fires, and widespread transport disruptions. Rescue workers continue searching for survivors trapped in partially collapsed buildings as aftershocks jolt the region.
A powerful tremor struck Japan’s southern Kyushu island at 4:27 p.m. local time on Tuesday, shaking the southwestern prefecture of Kumamoto at a shallow depth of approximately 10 kilometers. While the United States Geological Survey measured the magnitude at 6.8, Japanese authorities recorded the event at 7.1. The disaster hit a nation situated along the Pacific Ring of Fire
and triggered more than 170 aftershocks across Kyushu, leaving residents facing crippled infrastructure, severed transport links, and tens of thousands of homes without electricity.
Search and Rescue Operations at Collapsed Sites in Kumamoto
Emergency responders face dangerous conditions as they search for survivors buried beneath rubble. Fire response teams and local police joined 3,600 military personnel deployed by the Japanese Self-Defense Forces, alongside 20 aircraft assigned to rescue and damage assessment operations.
One major site of the disaster is a shopping mall in the town of Kashima, which suffered severe structural damage and a subsequent suspected gas explosion after being evacuated. Kumamoto officials reported that eight people had been pulled from the heavily damaged shopping center by Wednesday morning. Two women in their 20s from that group were confirmed dead, one person was in cardiac arrest, and five others sustained non-life-threatening injuries. Police noted that unstable conditions inside the building complicate rescue efforts, leaving the exact number of people still inside unclear.
At a Nippon Paper Industries facility in Yatsushiro, the heavy shaking caused a factory chimney to collapse. Local authorities reported that four out of 11 workers were initially rescued from the site, with two of them found in a state of cardiopulmonary arrest. Rescue operations continue as nine workers remain unaccounted for at the plant.
Transport Chaos, Fires, and Infrastructure Damage Across Kyushu
The tremor’s impact stretched far beyond the immediate rescue sites, disrupting regional transport and essential services. The earthquake sparked multiple fires, damaged roads and bridges, and caused part of a pedestrian bridge to collapse directly into a river. A freight train overturned on the tracks, while rail and air transport experienced severe interruptions. High-speed Shinkansen services were suspended, and Kumamoto Airport temporarily halted operations before managing to reopen later in the evening.
Power infrastructure also suffered major disruptions. Around 36,880 homes and other facilities remained without electricity on Wednesday morning.
Surviving the Shaking: Resident Accounts of the Disaster
For residents caught in the disaster, the experience was marked by sudden terror and structural instability. Videos circulating online showed traffic lights and heavy vehicles swaying wildly, roads buckling under tectonic force, and masonry collapsing from the historic walls of Kumamoto Castle. Office workers described moments of sheer panic as buildings shifted violently.
“The office swayed violently from side to side. I was afraid it would collapse. Everyone panicked.”
Chiharu Hara, recruitment consultant in Kumamoto
Other residents recounted the disorienting physical sensation of the ground shifting beneath them.
Some residents described scenes of panic and destruction as the earthquake struck.
The experience was described by some as surreal, with the feeling of solid ground turning into a moving mass.
Official Warnings and the Continuing Threat of Aftershocks
As emergency services verify whether all 13 reported fatalities are directly linked to the tremor, authorities are urging caution. Official briefings confirmed that Extensive damage has been confirmed, including casualties, collapsed buildings, fires and damage to roads
across the prefecture. With more than 170 aftershocks continuing to rattle the region, local officials urge residents in areas where the shaking was particularly severe to pay close attention to evacuation information issued by local authorities via radio, television and the internet, and to act calmly, as rescue crews race against time to reach those still trapped in the debris.
