Japan Earthquake: Shopping Mall Explosion Kills 13, Thousands Evacuated
At least 13 people have died after a powerful 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck Japan’s southern Kyushu island, triggering a deadly explosion at a shopping mall and prompting the evacuation of about 300,000 residents.
The earthquake hit Kumamoto Prefecture on Tuesday afternoon, causing widespread damage to roads, bridges and buildings. Although a tsunami warning was issued immediately after the quake, authorities later lifted the alert.
Rescue officials said 13 people were confirmed dead inside the damaged Aeon Mall Kumamoto, where an explosion occurred about an hour after the earthquake. More than 50 people were injured, while several others remained trapped as emergency workers continued search and rescue operations.
Authorities said eight people were rescued from the shopping centre overnight. Two women in their 20s were among those killed when the blast tore through the mall. Investigators are examining whether a gas leak caused the explosion.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said the government had received reports of casualties, power outages, fires, collapsed buildings and extensive damage to roads and bridges.
She urged residents to evacuate to safe locations and follow official safety instructions as aftershocks continued across the region.
Hundreds of soldiers have been deployed to support rescue efforts, while officials warned residents to remain alert for further strong earthquakes and possible landslides over the coming week.
The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said nearly 100 aftershocks had been recorded since the initial quake.
Local media reported that between 20 and 30 workers were initially unaccounted for at the shopping complex, which houses about 200 stores. Images from the scene showed one side of the building ripped apart, exposing steel beams and scattering debris across the surrounding area.
Emergency crews, supported by ambulances and fire engines, continued searching for survivors. Aeon, the mall operator, said customers and staff were evacuated immediately after the earthquake, adding that the cause of the subsequent explosion remained under investigation.
The earthquake also disrupted transport services, damaging major highways, suspending rail operations and grounding flights.
Authorities reported additional casualties after buildings collapsed and fires broke out in several communities near the epicentre. A chimney collapse at a Nippon Paper Industries factory also left several workers unaccounted for, while hospitals treated scores of injured people, some in critical condition.
Major manufacturers, including TSMC, Sony and Fujifilm, temporarily evacuated workers from facilities in the affected region. TSMC later said its operations had not suffered significant damage and production was gradually resuming.
Japan, located along the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, experiences some of the world’s highest levels of seismic activity, accounting for about 20 per cent of earthquakes measuring magnitude 6.0 or higher globally.
Authorities also warned residents to take precautions against heat-related illnesses, with temperatures expected to reach 34 degrees Celsius as recovery efforts continue.
