Overview
- The earthquake struck on Tuesday and was measured at magnitude 6.8 by the USGS and 7.1 by the Japan Meteorological Agency.
- Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said at least 13 people have died and dozens remain missing or unaccounted for, with many feared trapped in the damaged Aeon Mall and a paper factory.
- About an hour after the main shock a blast tore through part of the Aeon Mall, causing a partial second-floor collapse and prompting investigators to examine a suspected gas leak.
- Authorities ordered mass evacuations for roughly 260,000–300,000 people, cut transport services, reported widespread power outages, and deployed about 3,600 military personnel to support search-and-rescue work.
- Officials warn of ongoing strong aftershocks and landslide risk that complicate rescue and relief efforts while fact-checkers work to remove unrelated viral footage and investigators probe the mall explosion.