7.1 earthquake hits Kumamoto in southwest Japan, causing building collapses and damage to historic castle

A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck Kumamoto prefecture in southwest Japan on Tuesday afternoon, causing damage to buildings, a shopping centre and the historic Kumamoto Castle. Reports from the scene said several people were feared dead and trapped in a mall in Kumamoto after part of the second floor collapsed. Videos circulating after the quake also showed damage to the castle's stone walls and other structures in the area.

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The Japan Meteorological Agency said the quake struck at a depth of 16 kilometres at 4.27 pm local time. Local reports said the collapse at Aeon Mall in Kashima Town left at least 20 to 30 employees uncontactable after the incident. Police also said some people were pulled from the site and taken to hospital, while the full extent of injuries was not immediately clear.

Further footage showed a freight engine overturned and off the railway tracks, although it was not immediately clear whether the derailment was caused by the earthquake. Other videos showed collapsed towers at an industrial plant and a small building on fire. Japan's prime minister said there were reports of damage to roads, bridges and buildings, as well as blackouts and fires, but said details were still unclear.

The quake has drawn attention because it affected a densely populated part of a major industrial and tourist region. Kumamoto Castle is one of the city's best-known landmarks and a major visitor site, and the damage reported there adds to the wider disruption caused by the tremor. The reports of possible casualties, transport disruption and industrial damage also raise concerns about the scale of the impact across the prefecture.

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Kumamoto Castle was built in 1607 by Kato Kiyomasa and is regarded as one of Japan's historic castles. The castle was closed for the day, and its operators did not immediately provide details on the extent of the damage. The reports also point to the vulnerability of transport links and industrial facilities in a region where earthquakes can quickly affect multiple parts of daily life and economic activity.

What remains unclear is the confirmed number of dead or injured, the number of people still unaccounted for at the shopping centre, and the full extent of damage to roads, bridges and power supplies. It is also not yet clear whether the freight engine derailment was directly caused by the quake. Emergency services and local authorities are expected to continue assessing the damage and searching affected sites as more information becomes available.

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