7.1-magnitude quake hits Japan's Kumamoto, collapses mall in Kashima; many trapped

Private broadcaster TBS reported that a “considerable number” were feared dead inside the mall in the town of Kashima after the fire brigade said that the second floor collapsed in the 7.1-magnitude tremor

Updated - August 07, 2026 11:36 pm IST - TOKYO

AFP

“Many people” were feared trapped in a stricken shopping mall in Japan late on Tuesday (July 28, 2026), authorities said, after a major earthquake toppled buildings, sparked fires and reportedly injured more than 100.

Japan earthquake LIVE updates

Private broadcaster TBS reported that a “considerable number” were feared dead inside the mall in the town of Kashima after the fire brigade said that the second floor collapsed in the 7.1-magnitude tremor.

Public broadcaster NHK cited police sources as saying that between 20 and 30 employees could not be contacted, showing footage of emergency vehicles with flashing red lights outside.

Police told AFP they could not confirm any fatalities inside the building. Kyodo News reported that four people had been taken to hospital, all of them conscious.

Multiple people were also believed to be unaccounted for at a Japan Paper Industries factory where the tip of a chimney fell down, NHK reported, citing sources.

One person was killed when a house collapsed during the quake, Kyodo reported.

Footage elsewhere in the southwestern Kumamoto region on the island of Kyushu aired by NHK earlier showed several blazes, damaged bridges, a derailed cargo train and a number of houses threatening to topple over.

Chiharu Hara, a 35-year-old recruitment agent who was in Kumamoto, told AFP that she was “terrified” when the quake struck.

“The office swayed violently side-to-side. I was afraid it would collapse. Everyone panicked,” Ms. Hara said.

The tremor at 4:27 p.m. (0727 GMT) had a magnitude of 7.1, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said, but reached the highest level of seven on Japan’s Shindo scale of shaking.

A succession of aftershocks followed, including one with a magnitude of 6.1 at 5:08 p.m.

The US Geological Survey (USGS) determined the magnitude of the quake — one of hundreds that strike Japan every year — at 6.8. The vast majority cause little damage.

Many roads were closed, and high-speed Shinkansen train services were suspended in the region. Kumamoto airport was closed before being re-opened on Tuesday evening (July 28, 2026).

Two hospitals reported taking in at least 50 injured patients each, NHK said.

“People are coming in with burns and fractures from being trapped under objects due to the earthquake, and ambulances are constantly bringing in injured people,” NHK quoted an employee at one hospital as saying.

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“Inside the hospital, there are water leaks and electrical system failures.”

The broadcaster also said that around 10 people were hurt at a nursing home for the elderly.

Power Outages, Fires

“We are still assessing the extent of injuries and property damage, but I have been informed that there have already been several injuries,” Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said earlier.

“Power outages and fires are happening in some areas, and roads and bridges have been damaged and buildings collapsed,” she said.