00:00A powerful earthquake has devastated southwestern Japan, leaving a trail of destruction, claiming lives, and forcing thousands of people from
00:08their homes.
00:09The 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck the Kumamoto region on Tuesday afternoon at 4.27 p.m. local time.
00:17The powerful tremor shook buildings violently, flattened homes, triggered fires, damaged bridges, and cracked roads across Kyushu Island,
00:26reviving painful memories of the deadly twin earthquakes that struck the same region in 2016.
00:32According to Japanese officials, at least 13 people have been killed.
00:36Seven others have suffered serious injuries, while dozens more sustained minor injuries.
00:42As rescue operations continue, authorities fear the death toll could rise, with several people still unaccounted for beneath collapsed structures.
00:50One of the worst-hit locations was a shopping mall in Kashima, where a suspected gas explosion occurred around 30
00:57minutes after the earthquake.
00:59Officials said customers and staff had already been evacuated when the blast ripped through the building.
01:05However, the explosion left large sections of the mall destroyed, with twisted steel beams, hanging electrical cables, and collapsed ceilings
01:14trapping people inside.
01:15Rescue teams worked through the night, carefully searching the debris for survivors.
01:21Eight people were pulled out alive from the wreckage, five of them injured.
01:26Tragically, at least two women lost their lives inside the mall.
01:29Elsewhere, concerns remain high at a Nippon Paper Industries factory in Yatsushiro, where part of a massive smokestack collapsed onto
01:38the facility below.
01:39Nine workers remain unaccounted for, prompting an intensive search by emergency responders.
01:45The earthquake has also severely disrupted daily life across the region.
01:50More than 36,000 households remain without electricity, while high-speed Shinkansen bullet train services have been suspended.
01:58A cargo train was knocked off its tracks, roads were split open, bridges suffered damage, and even the historic Kumamoto
02:05Castle sustained structural damage.
02:07With parts of its centuries-old walls collapsing, the Japanese government has launched a large-scale disaster response.
02:15Around 3,600 military personnel have been deployed, supported by 20 aircraft conducting aerial assessments and delivering emergency assistance to
02:25affected communities.
02:26Prime Minister Sanai Takaichi described the destruction as extensive, confirming widespread damage to buildings, infrastructure, and public utilities.
02:35Government spokesman Minoru Kahara said that more than 9,000 people had taken shelter in 506 evacuation centers spread across
02:44five prefectures, including Kumamoto and neighboring Fukuoka, as authorities worked to ensure the safety of displaced residents.
02:52The earthquake was measured at a shallow depth of around 10 kilometers, increasing the intensity of ground shaking across the
02:59affected areas.
03:00Japan remains one of the world's most earthquake-prone nations.
03:04Located on four major tectonic plates along the Pacific Ring of Fire, the country experiences nearly 18% of all
03:12earthquakes worldwide.
03:13The latest disaster also brings back memories of the catastrophic 9.0-magnitude earthquake and tsunami in 2011, which claimed
03:22around 18,500 lives and triggered the Fukushima nuclear disaster.
03:26As rescue teams race against time to find those still missing, thousands of families remain displaced, uncertain of what comes
03:34next.
03:34For Japan, the immediate focus remains on saving lives, restoring essential services, and helping devastated communities begin the long road
03:44to recovery.
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