Powerful earthquake in Japan kills 18, dozens missing in Kumamoto

At least 18 people were killed and about 20 to 30 workers were missing after a magnitude 7.1 earthquake tore through Kumamoto prefecture on Kyushu island, collapsing part of an Aeon shopping mall and damaging a Nippon Paper factory. The scale of the destruction in a commercial area put building safety and rescue operations under immediate strain as crews searched through rubble, damaged homes and a collapsed second floor at the mall.

The quake struck at about 4:27 p.m. local time, or 07:27 GMT, and the Japan Meteorological Agency said it measured 7 on Japan’s Shindo seismic intensity scale, the highest level. A tsunami alert was issued for a one-meter wave and later lifted. There was no tsunami threat to Hawaii or American Samoa.

Emergency workers and soldiers combed through the mall and nearby collapsed houses while local reports described injuries and fears of more casualties inside the building. In Yatsushiro City, a smokestack collapsed at the Nippon Paper factory and several workers were feared missing. The damage stretched beyond the two industrial sites, with roads ruptured, a footbridge destroyed and part of the stone wall of Kumamoto Castle damaged.

The quake also knocked out power to more than 40,000 households and forced more than 150,000 people to move to evacuation shelters. Transport was disrupted across the region, including the suspension of the Kyushu Shinkansen. The shutdowns underscored how quickly a major quake can sever both mobility and basic services across southern Japan.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi urged people to remain vigilant for the possibility of another earthquake of similar magnitude. The disaster revived memories of Japan’s wider seismic exposure, including the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, and raised urgent questions about how quickly authorities can account for missing workers when a commercial complex and nearby industrial site are hit at the same time.