• Earthquake hits: A 6.8-magnitude earthquake that hit Japan’s southern Kumamoto prefecture has left many people trapped after a shopping mall partially collapsed. Several are also unaccounted for at a paper factory and a highway bridge has buckled. Japan’s prime minister said authorities will work “through the night” to coordinate the rescue operations. Track the impact in maps and charts here.
• Several reported dead: Two people have died following the shopping mall collapse, according to the country’s public broadcaster NHK. Earlier, CNN affiliate TV Asahi cited police sources as saying that several people had been killed. NHK previously said 20 to 30 employees couldn’t be contacted after the collapse.
• Dozens injured: One hospital had reported more than 50 injuries, NHK said. Several people on a high-speed train at the time of the quake were also injured, according to Nikkei newspaper.
• Tremor warning: Residents who felt the biggest tremors must be alert to further strong quakes for about a week as well as the risk of landslides, the Japan Meteorological Agency said. Kumamoto has been hit by powerful earthquakes before. In 2016, a series of quakes in the prefecture killed 275 people in one of Japan’s costliest natural disasters of recent decades.
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A kindergarten teacher has described how she shielded two students with her body as an earthquake shook her classroom in Kumamoto in southern Japan.
Video shared by the teacher showed a school wall at Tokiwa Kindergarten had been torn down by the violent tremors, trapping power lines beneath.
The teacher told CNN that both students were safe, and the school had carried out many earthquake drills in the past that helped everyone to keep calm.
An office was left in disarray by the powerful 6.8.-magnitude earthquake that struck southern Japan, with video showing desks overturned and items strewn across the floor as employees evacuate.
The office suffered “considerable damage,” as PCs toppled over and desks “swayed and collapsed violently,” Tsunetaka Hioki, the founder of the recruitment company think garbage, said in a post on social media.
Video posted by the business owner showed people escaping as sprinklers rained down on computers, flooding the room.
“We hid under desks like during an air raid, but the ground felt alive, pushing up from below,” he added.
Two women in their 20s have died after a shopping mall in Japan partially collapsed in an explosion following Tuesday’s earthquake, according to the country’s public broadcaster NHK.
Six other people have so far been rescued from the site, including one who had suffered from a “cardiopulmonary arrest” and five who were hurt but do not have life-threatening injuries, NHK reported.
Earlier, CNN affiliate TV Asahi cited police sources as saying that several people had been killed in the mall collapse after a 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck the city of Kumamoto, in southern Japan.
TV Asahi did not confirm at the time the number of deaths nor whether those killed were employees or customers.
NHK previously said 20 to 30 employees at Aeon Mall Kumamoto could not be contacted after the collapse.
This post has been updated with more details on the death toll.
Thousands of military personnel have been mobilized in Japan amid an effort to “expedite” rescue and relief efforts, the country’s public broadcaster NHK reported Wednesday morning local time.
In response to a request from authorities in Kumamoto prefecture, where the 6.8-magnitude struck on Tuesday, NHK said defense forces had “mobilized approximately 3,600 personnel.”
The military personnel, who will work in coordination with local police and fire departments, will assess damage in order to “accelerate rescue and relief efforts,” NHK reported.
The public broadcaster also said plans were being made to hold an emergency response meeting to “identify the immediate needs of the affected areas.”
Nine people remain missing at the Nippon paper factory in Yatsushiro City, Kumamoto prefecture, after the site suffered extensive damage in Tuesday’s earthquake, Japan’s public broadcaster NHK reported citing local authorities.
The factory sustained significant damage as a result of the 6.8-magnitude quake, with one of its chimneys snapping off, footage and images show.
Local officials said in an overnight briefing that two people were found in a “state of cardiopulmonary arrest” at the factory, NHK said, without confirming whether the two were alive or not. “The whereabouts of nine others remain unknown,” the public broadcaster added.
More than 150 facilities across the Japanese city of Kumamoto have been closed due to Tuesday’s 6.8-magnitude quake, according to local authorities, with some being turned into temporary evacuation shelters.
As of early Wednesday morning local time, a total of 178 sites had been shut, including libraries, community centers, public parks and sports facilities, the city’s disaster prevention body posted on its website.
Meanwhile, dozens of events scheduled to take place over the coming days have also been canceled, such as medical screenings and seminars, the website said.
A magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck Kumamoto prefecture on Japan’s southwestern island of Kyushu on Tuesday, killing several people, injuring dozens and damaging buildings in an area devastated by deadly earthquakes in 2016.
Here’s where the quake shook hardest:
A 400-bed hospital in Kumamoto is “already at full capacity” after today’s devastating earthquake, with dozens of people injured in the quake being treated at the facility, according to Japan’s public broadcaster NHK.
Saiseikai Kumamoto Hospital, in the city’s south, said it had temporarily suspended “pre-scheduled hospitalizations” amid the emergency response, NHK reported. “The hospital is asking people to refrain from outpatient visits on (July 29), except emergency cases,” the broadcaster added.
Adding to the pressure, the director said the hospital itself was damaged in the 6.8-magnitude quake, with water leaks and collapsed walls in several areas.
Four people have been rescued from Japan’s Aeon Mall Kumamoto, a shopping center which partially collapsed after today’s 6.8-magnitude earthquake, the country’s public broadcaster NHK said, citing local authorities.
However, NHK cited local officials as saying the whereabouts of at least 10 other people remains unknown.
Local authorities said earlier that an explosion which triggered the partial collapse of the mall may have been caused by a gas leak, after gas equipment was damaged in the quake, CNN affiliate TV Asahi reported. Investigations into the exact cause of the explosion are ongoing.
We’re tracking the latest developments after a deadly magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck Kumamoto prefecture in southern Japan on Tuesday.
A number of people were killed in the collapse at the Aeon Mall in Kumamoto, according to CNN affiliate TV Asahi, which cited police sources. They have not confirmed the number of deaths or whether those killed were employees or customers.
Several people are also reportedly unaccounted for at a paper factory, a highway bridge has buckled, and at least one other building has collapsed.
If you’re just joining us, here’s what else you need to know:
Another earthquake, measuring magnitude 4.1, struck Kumamoto prefecture at 12:15 a.m. Wednesday local time, according to NHK One. No tsunami warning or threat was issued. This was described as a moderate aftershock. The Japan Meteorological Agency has reported numerous aftershocks following the earthquake.
Defense Minister Shinjirō Koizumi said that ground self-defense force units have been deployed to carry out rescue efforts, NHK One reported.
Authorities believe an explosion at Japan’s Aeon Mall Kumamoto, which partially collapsed after the earthquake, may have been caused by a gas leak, CNN affiliate TV Asahi reported. The broadcaster cited multiple government officials saying a strong smell of gas was detected at the scene. The investigation is ongoing.
Rail services have been greatly disrupted, and the airport in Kumamoto has canceled all flights for the rest of the day following the earthquake.
More than 46,000 households in the area were without power, according to Kyushu Electric Power, though there are signs indicating that some service is being restored.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has vowed to support those affected by the earthquake on the island of Kyushu, saying that her government will work tirelessly to respond to the emergency.
The government has pledged to provide essential supplies such as food and water, as well as portable air conditioners and power generators to help prevent heatstroke during Japan’s hot summer months.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has vowed to support those affected by Tuesday’s powerful earthquake on the island of Kyushu, saying that her government will work tirelessly to respond to the emergency.
In a post on X, she expressed her “heartfelt sympathy to all those affected by this disaster,” adding that authorities would work “through the night” to determine the extent of the damage and coordinate emergency operations, including rescue work.
The earthquake poses another challenge for Takaichi, who has been in office for less than a year and has faced declining approval ratings in recent weeks amid public frustration over rising living costs and inflation.
Speaking at a news conference Tuesday, she said the government would put “human lives first” and respond with its “full force” to support communities affected by the disaster.
The government has pledged to provide essential supplies such as food and water, as well as portable air conditioners and power generators to help prevent heatstroke during Japan’s hot summer months.
Residents in areas that experienced the strongest shaking have been urged to remain vigilant, with authorities warning that aftershocks of similar strength could occur in the coming days.
Authorities believe the explosion at Japan’s Aeon Mall Kumamoto, a shopping center which partially collapsed after today’s earthquake, may have been caused by a gas leak, CNN affiliate TV Asahi reported.
The broadcaster cited multiple government officials as saying a strong smell of gas was detected at the scene.
One theory is that gas equipment used by restaurants in the mall could have been “damaged by the earthquake, causing a gas leak that later ignited and exploded,” TV Asahi said.
But investigations are ongoing to determine the exact cause of the explosion at the center, where many people remain trapped.
Footage posted on NHK One’s website shows a large presence of emergency crews at Aeon Mall Kumamoto.
Many people are trapped after the shopping mall partially collapsed. According to NHK One, “multiple people’s whereabouts (are) unknown.”
The powerful 6.8-magnitude earthquake in Kumamoto prefecture rattled a region still marked by one of the country’s deadliest recent disasters.
In 2016, a series of devastating earthquakes killed 275 people and injured thousands more across the prefecture. The disaster also caused widespread devastation, with more than 200,000 homes affected and economic losses estimated at several trillion yen, making it one of Japan’s costliest natural disasters in recent decades.
Among the most visible symbols of the destruction was Kumamoto Castle, one of Japan’s most famous landmarks and a major tourist attraction. The centuries-old fortress suffered severe damage, with sections of its stone walls collapsing and parts of its structures badly affected. Restoration was expected to take decades.
Tuesday’s earthquake has now caused further damage to the historic site, dealing another blow to a landmark that was still recovering over a decade after the 2016 disaster.
Japan is one of the world’s most earthquake-prone countries, where minor tremors occur on average every five minutes, according to Reuters.
While most are too small to cause significant damage, the country remains haunted by memories of the devastating magnitude 9.0 earthquake and tsunami that struck its northeast coast in March 2011. That disaster left around 18,500 people dead or missing and triggered the Fukushima nuclear crisis, the world’s worst nuclear accident since Chernobyl in 1986.
Since then, Japan has significantly strengthened its disaster preparedness. It’s invested billions of dollars in rebuilding the worst-hit areas, bolstering tsunami defences, strengthening building standards, expanding sophisticated earthquake and tsunami monitoring systems, and improving nationwide evacuation planning and drills.
Rail services have been greatly disrupted, and the airport in Kumamoto has canceled all flights for the rest of the day following the earthquake.
Flights are scheduled to resume on Wednesday but the airport, which hosts both international and domestic routes, urged passengers to check before they travel.
Services on several railway lines have been suspended for the rest of the day too.
Several people are feared trapped in a shopping mall after a 6.8-magnitude earthquake hit Japan’s southern Kumamoto prefecture.
Here are some of the latest images we’re seeing from the area.
Several people are reportedly unaccounted for at a Nippon paper factory, which sustained extensive damage in an earthquake, Japan’s public broadcaster NHK reported
Emergency services are still working to confirm those reports, NHK said. Images showed that one of the factory’s chimneys collapsed.
Nippon is still “gathering information on whether there are any casualties, but we are concerned because we have not been able to make contact,” a company employee told NHK.
Twenty to 30 employees cannot be contacted after a shopping mall partially collapsed in an explosion after a large earthquake struck the Japanese city of Kumamoto, the country’s public broadcaster NHK reported, citing police sources.
Police are still working to confirm whether they are trapped inside the building. Most customers were evacuated once the earthquake hit but emergency services are still trying to establish whether any customers are missing too, NHK said.
Firefighters have arrived at the scene but cannot enter the building from the first floor, hindering their rescue operations, NHK added.
This post has been updated with additional information.
Firefighters were seen trying to extinguish large flames rising from a burning building in Kumamoto after a 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck southern Japan.
Separately, the video above shows an overturned freight engine, which has rolled off the railway tracks. CNN cannot confirm if these incidents were caused by the earthquake.
• Earthquake hits: A 6.8-magnitude earthquake that hit Japan’s southern Kumamoto prefecture has left many people trapped after a shopping mall partially collapsed. Several are also unaccounted for at a paper factory and a highway bridge has buckled. Japan’s prime minister said authorities will work “through the night” to coordinate the rescue operations. Track the impact in maps and charts here.
• Several reported dead: Two people have died following the shopping mall collapse, according to the country’s public broadcaster NHK. Earlier, CNN affiliate TV Asahi cited police sources as saying that several people had been killed. NHK previously said 20 to 30 employees couldn’t be contacted after the collapse.
• Dozens injured: One hospital had reported more than 50 injuries, NHK said. Several people on a high-speed train at the time of the quake were also injured, according to Nikkei newspaper.
• Tremor warning: Residents who felt the biggest tremors must be alert to further strong quakes for about a week as well as the risk of landslides, the Japan Meteorological Agency said. Kumamoto has been hit by powerful earthquakes before. In 2016, a series of quakes in the prefecture killed 275 people in one of Japan’s costliest natural disasters of recent decades.
A kindergarten teacher has described how she shielded two students with her body as an earthquake shook her classroom in Kumamoto in southern Japan.
Video shared by the teacher showed a school wall at Tokiwa Kindergarten had been torn down by the violent tremors, trapping power lines beneath.
The teacher told CNN that both students were safe, and the school had carried out many earthquake drills in the past that helped everyone to keep calm.
An office was left in disarray by the powerful 6.8.-magnitude earthquake that struck southern Japan, with video showing desks overturned and items strewn across the floor as employees evacuate.
The office suffered “considerable damage,” as PCs toppled over and desks “swayed and collapsed violently,” Tsunetaka Hioki, the founder of the recruitment company think garbage, said in a post on social media.
Video posted by the business owner showed people escaping as sprinklers rained down on computers, flooding the room.
“We hid under desks like during an air raid, but the ground felt alive, pushing up from below,” he added.
Two women in their 20s have died after a shopping mall in Japan partially collapsed in an explosion following Tuesday’s earthquake, according to the country’s public broadcaster NHK.
Six other people have so far been rescued from the site, including one who had suffered from a “cardiopulmonary arrest” and five who were hurt but do not have life-threatening injuries, NHK reported.
Earlier, CNN affiliate TV Asahi cited police sources as saying that several people had been killed in the mall collapse after a 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck the city of Kumamoto, in southern Japan.
TV Asahi did not confirm at the time the number of deaths nor whether those killed were employees or customers.
NHK previously said 20 to 30 employees at Aeon Mall Kumamoto could not be contacted after the collapse.
This post has been updated with more details on the death toll.
Thousands of military personnel have been mobilized in Japan amid an effort to “expedite” rescue and relief efforts, the country’s public broadcaster NHK reported Wednesday morning local time.
In response to a request from authorities in Kumamoto prefecture, where the 6.8-magnitude struck on Tuesday, NHK said defense forces had “mobilized approximately 3,600 personnel.”
The military personnel, who will work in coordination with local police and fire departments, will assess damage in order to “accelerate rescue and relief efforts,” NHK reported.
The public broadcaster also said plans were being made to hold an emergency response meeting to “identify the immediate needs of the affected areas.”
Nine people remain missing at the Nippon paper factory in Yatsushiro City, Kumamoto prefecture, after the site suffered extensive damage in Tuesday’s earthquake, Japan’s public broadcaster NHK reported citing local authorities.
The factory sustained significant damage as a result of the 6.8-magnitude quake, with one of its chimneys snapping off, footage and images show.
Local officials said in an overnight briefing that two people were found in a “state of cardiopulmonary arrest” at the factory, NHK said, without confirming whether the two were alive or not. “The whereabouts of nine others remain unknown,” the public broadcaster added.
More than 150 facilities across the Japanese city of Kumamoto have been closed due to Tuesday’s 6.8-magnitude quake, according to local authorities, with some being turned into temporary evacuation shelters.
As of early Wednesday morning local time, a total of 178 sites had been shut, including libraries, community centers, public parks and sports facilities, the city’s disaster prevention body posted on its website.
Meanwhile, dozens of events scheduled to take place over the coming days have also been canceled, such as medical screenings and seminars, the website said.
A magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck Kumamoto prefecture on Japan’s southwestern island of Kyushu on Tuesday, killing several people, injuring dozens and damaging buildings in an area devastated by deadly earthquakes in 2016.
Here’s where the quake shook hardest:
A 400-bed hospital in Kumamoto is “already at full capacity” after today’s devastating earthquake, with dozens of people injured in the quake being treated at the facility, according to Japan’s public broadcaster NHK.
Saiseikai Kumamoto Hospital, in the city’s south, said it had temporarily suspended “pre-scheduled hospitalizations” amid the emergency response, NHK reported. “The hospital is asking people to refrain from outpatient visits on (July 29), except emergency cases,” the broadcaster added.
Adding to the pressure, the director said the hospital itself was damaged in the 6.8-magnitude quake, with water leaks and collapsed walls in several areas.
Four people have been rescued from Japan’s Aeon Mall Kumamoto, a shopping center which partially collapsed after today’s 6.8-magnitude earthquake, the country’s public broadcaster NHK said, citing local authorities.
However, NHK cited local officials as saying the whereabouts of at least 10 other people remains unknown.
Local authorities said earlier that an explosion which triggered the partial collapse of the mall may have been caused by a gas leak, after gas equipment was damaged in the quake, CNN affiliate TV Asahi reported. Investigations into the exact cause of the explosion are ongoing.
We’re tracking the latest developments after a deadly magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck Kumamoto prefecture in southern Japan on Tuesday.
A number of people were killed in the collapse at the Aeon Mall in Kumamoto, according to CNN affiliate TV Asahi, which cited police sources. They have not confirmed the number of deaths or whether those killed were employees or customers.
Several people are also reportedly unaccounted for at a paper factory, a highway bridge has buckled, and at least one other building has collapsed.
If you’re just joining us, here’s what else you need to know:
Another earthquake, measuring magnitude 4.1, struck Kumamoto prefecture at 12:15 a.m. Wednesday local time, according to NHK One. No tsunami warning or threat was issued. This was described as a moderate aftershock. The Japan Meteorological Agency has reported numerous aftershocks following the earthquake.
Defense Minister Shinjirō Koizumi said that ground self-defense force units have been deployed to carry out rescue efforts, NHK One reported.
Authorities believe an explosion at Japan’s Aeon Mall Kumamoto, which partially collapsed after the earthquake, may have been caused by a gas leak, CNN affiliate TV Asahi reported. The broadcaster cited multiple government officials saying a strong smell of gas was detected at the scene. The investigation is ongoing.
Rail services have been greatly disrupted, and the airport in Kumamoto has canceled all flights for the rest of the day following the earthquake.
More than 46,000 households in the area were without power, according to Kyushu Electric Power, though there are signs indicating that some service is being restored.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has vowed to support those affected by the earthquake on the island of Kyushu, saying that her government will work tirelessly to respond to the emergency.
The government has pledged to provide essential supplies such as food and water, as well as portable air conditioners and power generators to help prevent heatstroke during Japan’s hot summer months.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has vowed to support those affected by Tuesday’s powerful earthquake on the island of Kyushu, saying that her government will work tirelessly to respond to the emergency.
In a post on X, she expressed her “heartfelt sympathy to all those affected by this disaster,” adding that authorities would work “through the night” to determine the extent of the damage and coordinate emergency operations, including rescue work.
The earthquake poses another challenge for Takaichi, who has been in office for less than a year and has faced declining approval ratings in recent weeks amid public frustration over rising living costs and inflation.
Speaking at a news conference Tuesday, she said the government would put “human lives first” and respond with its “full force” to support communities affected by the disaster.
The government has pledged to provide essential supplies such as food and water, as well as portable air conditioners and power generators to help prevent heatstroke during Japan’s hot summer months.
Residents in areas that experienced the strongest shaking have been urged to remain vigilant, with authorities warning that aftershocks of similar strength could occur in the coming days.
Authorities believe the explosion at Japan’s Aeon Mall Kumamoto, a shopping center which partially collapsed after today’s earthquake, may have been caused by a gas leak, CNN affiliate TV Asahi reported.
The broadcaster cited multiple government officials as saying a strong smell of gas was detected at the scene.
One theory is that gas equipment used by restaurants in the mall could have been “damaged by the earthquake, causing a gas leak that later ignited and exploded,” TV Asahi said.
But investigations are ongoing to determine the exact cause of the explosion at the center, where many people remain trapped.
Footage posted on NHK One’s website shows a large presence of emergency crews at Aeon Mall Kumamoto.
Many people are trapped after the shopping mall partially collapsed. According to NHK One, “multiple people’s whereabouts (are) unknown.”
The powerful 6.8-magnitude earthquake in Kumamoto prefecture rattled a region still marked by one of the country’s deadliest recent disasters.
In 2016, a series of devastating earthquakes killed 275 people and injured thousands more across the prefecture. The disaster also caused widespread devastation, with more than 200,000 homes affected and economic losses estimated at several trillion yen, making it one of Japan’s costliest natural disasters in recent decades.
Among the most visible symbols of the destruction was Kumamoto Castle, one of Japan’s most famous landmarks and a major tourist attraction. The centuries-old fortress suffered severe damage, with sections of its stone walls collapsing and parts of its structures badly affected. Restoration was expected to take decades.
Tuesday’s earthquake has now caused further damage to the historic site, dealing another blow to a landmark that was still recovering over a decade after the 2016 disaster.
Japan is one of the world’s most earthquake-prone countries, where minor tremors occur on average every five minutes, according to Reuters.
While most are too small to cause significant damage, the country remains haunted by memories of the devastating magnitude 9.0 earthquake and tsunami that struck its northeast coast in March 2011. That disaster left around 18,500 people dead or missing and triggered the Fukushima nuclear crisis, the world’s worst nuclear accident since Chernobyl in 1986.
Since then, Japan has significantly strengthened its disaster preparedness. It’s invested billions of dollars in rebuilding the worst-hit areas, bolstering tsunami defences, strengthening building standards, expanding sophisticated earthquake and tsunami monitoring systems, and improving nationwide evacuation planning and drills.
Rail services have been greatly disrupted, and the airport in Kumamoto has canceled all flights for the rest of the day following the earthquake.
Flights are scheduled to resume on Wednesday but the airport, which hosts both international and domestic routes, urged passengers to check before they travel.
Services on several railway lines have been suspended for the rest of the day too.
Several people are feared trapped in a shopping mall after a 6.8-magnitude earthquake hit Japan’s southern Kumamoto prefecture.
Here are some of the latest images we’re seeing from the area.
Several people are reportedly unaccounted for at a Nippon paper factory, which sustained extensive damage in an earthquake, Japan’s public broadcaster NHK reported
Emergency services are still working to confirm those reports, NHK said. Images showed that one of the factory’s chimneys collapsed.
Nippon is still “gathering information on whether there are any casualties, but we are concerned because we have not been able to make contact,” a company employee told NHK.
Twenty to 30 employees cannot be contacted after a shopping mall partially collapsed in an explosion after a large earthquake struck the Japanese city of Kumamoto, the country’s public broadcaster NHK reported, citing police sources.
Police are still working to confirm whether they are trapped inside the building. Most customers were evacuated once the earthquake hit but emergency services are still trying to establish whether any customers are missing too, NHK said.
Firefighters have arrived at the scene but cannot enter the building from the first floor, hindering their rescue operations, NHK added.
This post has been updated with additional information.
Firefighters were seen trying to extinguish large flames rising from a burning building in Kumamoto after a 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck southern Japan.
Separately, the video above shows an overturned freight engine, which has rolled off the railway tracks. CNN cannot confirm if these incidents were caused by the earthquake.
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