Over 100 aftershocks hit Japan after powerful quake kills 13
A magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck southwestern Japan's Kyushu region on Tuesday, killing at least 13 people and triggering more than 100 aftershocks. Rescue teams are searching for survivors in collapsed buildings amid scorching heat.
Southwestern Japan's Kyushu region has experienced over 100 aftershocks since a magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck on Tuesday, according to the US Geological Survey (the Japan Meteorological Agency measured it at 7.1). The quake left at least 13 people dead, with many others reported in cardiopulmonary arrest—a term often used in Japan before official confirmation of death. The epicenter was shallow, about 10 kilometers deep, and located roughly 20 kilometers south of Kumamoto city.
Rescue operations are underway in intense heat, with temperatures reaching around 35°C (95°F). Crews are digging through rubble at a paper factory and the Aeon Mall in Kumamoto prefecture, searching for trapped survivors. The mall experienced an explosion about an hour after the quake. Aeon Mall President Akio Yoshida confirmed three people died in the explosion, three mall workers remain missing, and four were taken to the hospital—one rescued from a restroom and another in cardiopulmonary arrest. Some 2,700 people were employed at the mall.
At a factory in Yatsushiro City, two people were found with no signs of life, and nine others are unaccounted for. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi warned it is "truly a race against time" to rescue those trapped, noting that more than 20 hours had passed since the quake. She added that over 4,600 personnel have been deployed for rescue efforts.
Thousands of people are in evacuation centers, and many remain without power. The Japan Meteorological Agency is urging residents to watch for more strong earthquakes, especially in the next two to three days, with potential intensity up to 7 on the seismic scale. To combat the heat, about 300 air conditioning units will be flown to the hardest-hit areas, as announced by Defense Minister Shinjirō Koizumi.
The quake caused significant damage: cracked roads and bridges, several buildings on fire, and the collapse of the 19th-century Yatsushiro Shrine worship hall. Train services were suspended, and thousands of homes lost electricity. Resident Hiroko Ogata, 75, told the BBC she had never experienced such a big quake in her 75 years and thought she would die. American tourist Chantel Mohar, traveling with her family, recalled the sudden rocking and confusion as everyone's phones sounded earthquake alerts.
