Magnitude 7.1 quake in Kumamoto kills at least five, damages mall and paper plant

A strong earthquake struck the southwestern Japanese island of Kyushu at 4:27 p.m. local time on Tuesday, registering a magnitude of 7.1 on the Japan Meteorological Agency scale and reaching level 7 on the Shindo intensity scale. The tremor caused the collapse of the second floor of an Aeon Mall in Kashima, Kumamoto Prefecture, where two women in their 20s were found dead and a third victim was discovered without vital signs. Officials said the collapse followed an explosion likely caused by a gas leak.

At the Nippon Paper Industries Yatsushiro Plant, a chimney fell, trapping at least 11 workers; two were later confirmed dead. Local authorities reported that more than 50 people were taken to hospitals and that at least six additional individuals had been rescued, though their conditions remain unknown.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said she had set up an emergency operations center and warned of power outages, water shortages and heat-related risks as temperatures approached 104 °F in the region. > "I extend my heartfelt condolences to all those affected by the disaster," she posted on social media, adding that the government would work through the night to assess damage and conduct rescue operations.

The quake also damaged homes, bridges, roads and a cargo train, and sparked several fires. The Japan Meteorological Agency briefly issued a tsunami alert of up to three feet before cancelling it. No irregularities were reported at nearby nuclear power plants, and three operating reactors continued to function normally. Approximately 45,000 households and facilities in Kumamoto lost electricity, according to Kyushu Electric Power.

The incident follows Kumamoto’s experience with two deadly earthquakes in 2016 and comes after a 7.2-magnitude quake in northern Japan earlier this month that caused no fatalities.