Overview
- A shallow magnitude-7.1 earthquake struck Kumamoto on Tuesday, producing violent surface shaking that collapsed buildings, ruptured roads and damaged a large Aeon shopping mall.
- The official death toll has risen to 13, though some outlets report higher feared totals as bodies are recovered from the mall and other collapse sites.
- Hundreds of rescue workers, including Japan Self-Defense Forces, fire crews and coast guard units, are searching the mall and nearby sites for survivors while access is hampered by blast damage and unstable debris.
- Transport and utilities remain widely disrupted with bullet and local train services suspended, tens of thousands of homes without power or water and major factories temporarily evacuated for safety checks.
- Authorities warn of continued strong aftershocks, landslide risk and heat-related dangers for evacuees, and investigators are focusing on whether a postquake gas blast caused the mall explosion that greatly complicated rescue efforts.