Japan earthquake: What we know so far

What the report says

BBC World News reports that a magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck Kumamoto prefecture on Japan’s Kyushu island at 16:27 local time on Tuesday, prompting evacuation instructions for about 300,000 people. The quake caused widespread disruption in a region with a history of severe seismic damage, including deadly earthquakes in Kumamoto and neighbouring Oita in 2016.

According to the BBC, the most urgent rescue concern is at an Aeon Mall in Kumamoto, where the fire service says many people are trapped after part of the building collapsed. NHK, cited in the report, said police had lost contact with 20 to 30 employees, while a witness described smoke and an explosion at the site and said some shoppers were taken to hospital. The exact number of missing or injured people remains unclear.

Other damage was reported across Kumamoto prefecture. Police cited by NHK said people were believed missing at the Nippon Paper Industries Yatsushiro Plant after a chimney collapsed. Tremors also brought down sections of the historic Kumamoto Castle walls, and a footbridge collapsed in the region, though the BBC said it was not yet clear whether anyone was injured there.

Kyushu Electric reported more than 40,000 households without power, and roads were also damaged. Japan’s Meteorological Agency recorded more than 60 aftershocks between magnitude 1 and 4. A tsunami warning issued after the quake was lifted within two hours. Japan is one of the world’s most earthquake-prone countries, making rapid damage assessment and aftershock monitoring especially important after major tremors.