TOKYO – The ground shook with terrifying force across Japan’s Kumamoto region as powerful 7.1-magnitude earthquake sent people scrambling for safety, turning homes to rubble, and triggered tsunami advisory.
Within minutes, emergency sirens echoed across coastal communities while rescue teams rushed into action amid fears of further aftershocks and mounting damage.
The earthquake reported at 4:27 p.m. local time on Kyushu Island, with Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) recording the maximum Shindo 7 intensity, the highest level on Japan’s seismic scale, showing violent ground shaking near the epicenter.
Firefighters, police, and disaster response teams were deployed across Kumamoto to search damaged structures, inspect infrastructure, and assist affected residents as aftershocks continued. JMA immediately issued a tsunami advisory, warning that waves of up to one meter (around three feet) could strike coastal areas. Public broadcaster NHK reported that waves close to the projected height may already have reached parts of the coastline, prompting officials to urge residents in vulnerable areas to stay away from the shore.
The powerful tremor also disrupted daily life, leaving nearly 45,000 homes and businesses without electricity, according to Kyushu Electric Power. Despite the intensity of the quake, the utility company said its three operating nuclear reactors continued functioning normally.
Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority also reported no immediate abnormalities or safety concerns at nuclear power facilities following the earthquake. Live television broadcasts captured the scale of the disaster, with an NHK reporter wearing protective gear describing powerful aftershocks that continued well after the initial quake. The journalist said the shaking was so intense it was impossible to remain standing and urged the public to stay alert for further seismic activity.
The latest disaster revived painful memories in Kumamoto, which was devastated in 2016 by back-to-back earthquakes measuring 6.5 and 7.3. Those disasters claimed 273 lives, injured more than 2,800 people, and caused widespread destruction across the prefecture.
Tuesday’s quake follows another 7.2-magnitude earthquake that struck northern Japan on June 25, although that earlier event resulted in no reported fatalities or major structural damage. The country remains among the world’s most earthquake-prone nations due to its location on the Pacific Ring of Fire, where four major tectonic plates converge. The country experiences hundreds of earthquakes every year and accounts for roughly 18 percent of global seismic activity.
More updates to follow…
