Strong earthquake in southwest Japan traps people in collapsed shopping centre as emergency response expands

Emergency crews in southwest Japan were still working to reach people trapped inside a shopping centre after a strong earthquake struck Kumamoto prefecture on Tuesday afternoon. The second floor of a shopping complex in Kashima town collapsed, leaving an unspecified number of people inside, according to local fire officials. The quake also caused fires, damaged roads and bridges, and disrupted transport across parts of Kyushu island.

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The Japan Meteorological Agency said the earthquake measured magnitude 7.1 and struck at 4.27pm local time at a shallow depth of about 10km. It initially issued a tsunami warning for waves of up to one metre, before later withdrawing the alert. The tremor reached the highest level on Japan's Shindo scale in some areas, including Uki City and Makigawa Town, underlining the intensity of the shaking.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said the government had assembled an emergency response team and that officials were still assessing injuries and property damage. National broadcaster reports said at least 50 people were taken to hospital, while police said they could not confirm reports of fatalities at the mall in Kashima. The Nuclear Regulation Authority said there were no immediate abnormalities at nuclear power plants, and the International Atomic Energy Agency said it would continue to monitor the situation.

The incident is significant because it hit a region that has experienced major destructive earthquakes before, and because the immediate effects spread beyond the collapsed shopping centre. Reports of power outages, fires, derailed freight traffic and cracked roads suggest a wider infrastructure impact that could slow rescue work and complicate recovery. In a country where earthquake preparedness is routine, the combination of entrapment, transport disruption and emergency evacuations has made this a major local disaster response.

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Kumamoto prefecture was struck by two devastating earthquakes in 2016, including a magnitude 7.3 tremor two days after a magnitude 6.5 quake, which killed 273 people and injured more than 2,800. That history has shaped disaster planning in the region and helps explain the speed of the current response. It also highlights why officials are treating the latest quake as a serious test of buildings, transport links and emergency systems in southern Japan.

Earlier reports said police had received accounts of what sounded like an explosion at the Aeon shopping outlet in the Kumamoto region, although they had no immediate confirmation of damage or casualties there. Television footage showed several blazes, damaged bridges, a derailed cargo train and at least 12 collapsed houses, indicating that the quake affected more than one site. Emergency services also said many people were trapped in the shopping centre, but the full number remained unclear.

What remains uncertain is the total number of people trapped, the final casualty count and the extent of structural damage across Kumamoto and surrounding areas. Officials were still checking buildings, roads and utilities, while aftershocks remained a concern because of the quake's shallow depth. The next developments to watch are rescue progress in Kashima, updated hospital figures and whether transport and power services can be restored safely.

A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck inland on Kyushu island in southwest Japan at 16:27 local time, triggering a major emergency response across the Kumamoto region. Officials said several people were trapped inside a shopping centre after part of the building collapsed. A brief tsunami warning was issued after the quake and then lifted within the hour.

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The fire department said the second floor of the mall collapsed, leaving many people trapped inside. Local reports also referred to an explosion at the Aeon Mall in Kumamoto, although that account was not immediately confirmed by emergency services. More than 150,000 people were told to move to evacuation shelters, and the meteorological agency warned of strong aftershocks because the epicentre was shallow, at about 10km.

Emergency services said many people were trapped inside the shopping centre in the town of Kashima, while footage broadcast nationally showed cracked roads and bridges and several buildings on fire. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said authorities were still assessing the extent of injuries and property damage, but that several injuries had already been reported. National broadcaster reports said about 10 of the injured were in an elderly care home, and at least 50 people were being treated in hospital.

The quake has also disrupted transport and utilities in the area. Train services were suspended and electricity was cut off for thousands of homes, adding to the strain on rescue and evacuation efforts. The combination of building damage, injuries and temporary displacement has made the response one of the most significant immediate disaster operations in the region.

Japan is one of the world's most earthquake-prone countries, with the meteorological agency saying it experiences about 1,500 quakes a year. That makes rapid warnings, shelter evacuations and infrastructure checks a routine part of disaster management, but the scale of this event has still raised concern because of the reported entrapment and the number of people moved to safety. The shallow depth of the quake also increases the risk of aftershocks, which can complicate rescue work and damage assessments.

What remains unclear is the full number of people trapped, the extent of injuries, and how much structural damage has been caused at the shopping centre and elsewhere. Emergency crews were still assessing the situation, and officials warned that aftershocks could follow. The next developments to watch are rescue progress, updated casualty figures, and whether transport and power services can be restored quickly.

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