AT least 13 people have been killed after a powerful 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck southwestern Japan’s Kumamoto Prefecture, triggering a major rescue operation, widespread evacuations and renewed concerns over continued seismic activity in the region.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said seven people suffered serious injuries and 29 others sustained minor injuries following Tuesday’s earthquake, as authorities continued assessing the full scale of the damage.
Government spokesman Minoru Kihara said thousands of residents had sought refuge in evacuation centres across the affected areas.
“We have received reports of seven people with serious injuries and 29 with minor injuries. Furthermore, as of 7am today (6am, Singapore time), 9,186 people have sought refuge in 506 evacuation centres across five prefectures, including Kumamoto and Fukuoka,” he said.
Emergency crews worked through the night searching for survivors following an explosion at the Aeon Mall Kumamoto shopping centre, where people were trapped after the earthquake struck.
Experts said the latest earthquake was likely connected to fault activity left unresolved after two major earthquakes devastated the same region in 2016.
The latest tremor originated in Kumamoto Prefecture, close to the epicentres of magnitude 6.5 and magnitude 7.3 earthquakes that struck on April 14 and April 16, 2016 respectively.
Kyodo News cited that all three earthquakes reached the highest level of seven on Japan’s seismic intensity scale in parts of Kumamoto. The 2016 disaster killed more than 270 people and caused extensive damage across the region.
Researchers said several active fault zones, including the Hinagu and Futagawa fault systems responsible for the 2016 earthquakes, run through central Kyushu.
Shinji Toda, a seismology professor at Tohoku University, said the southern section of the Hinagu fault zone, which extends towards the nearby Yatsushiro Sea, had remained largely unruptured after the 2016 earthquakes.
“It is believed that the 2016 earthquake caused a significant strain and stress, resulting in movements along part of the Hinagu fault zone” this time, Toda said, adding that the two events shared a similar mechanism.
The Japan Meteorological Agency said Tuesday’s earthquake struck at a depth of 16 kilometres and occurred along a “strike-slip” fault, where two sections of the Earth’s crust move horizontally against each other.
The earthquake also damaged Kumamoto Castle, one of Japan’s most iconic historic landmarks, with sections of its stone walls collapsing.
Footage showed parts of the centuries-old fortress damaged, with large stones scattered across the grounds following the tremor.
The New York Times reported that built by military commander Kato Kiyomasa and completed in 1607, Kumamoto Castle has long been regarded as a symbol of the region’s history and resilience.
The castle gained historical significance during the 1877 Siege of Kumamoto Castle in the Satsuma Rebellion, when 3,500 defenders resisted an assault by 13,000 members of the Satsuma Army.
The landmark was also damaged during the 2016 earthquakes, when parts of its stone walls collapsed into the surrounding moat.
Despite undergoing restoration following the earlier disaster, Kumamoto Castle remained a major tourist attraction drawing visitors from across Japan and overseas.
Following Tuesday’s earthquake, castle authorities announced its closure and urged the public to prioritise safety.
“We ask everyone to prioritise your own safety above all else in your actions,” the announcement said. - July 29, 2026
