Overview
- A shallow magnitude-7.1 earthquake struck Kumamoto on Tuesday, July 28, with the Japan Meteorological Agency reporting an epicenter about 10 km deep and issuing a short tsunami alert and repeated aftershock warnings.
- Officials have raised the confirmed death toll from initial counts of 13 to official updates of 18 and later reports citing 30, with hundreds injured and many people still reported missing or trapped.
- Rescue efforts focus on two major damage sites: a partial floor collapse and later explosion at Aeon Mall in Kashima that left multiple dead and trapped, and the collapse of a large chimney at Nippon Paper Industries in Yatsushiro where several workers died.
- Tokyo and Kumamoto authorities deployed thousands of personnel including roughly 3,600–4,600 Self‑Defense Forces members, thousands of police and firefighters, plus aircraft to support search, medical care and supply distribution.
- The quake caused wide infrastructure damage that cut power and water to tens of thousands of households, disrupted transport and strained hospitals and shelters, and officials warn that ongoing aftershocks and extreme heat will make rescue and recovery harder.