A handout photo made available by the Ministry of Defense shows a building on fire following a powerful earthquake in Uki City, Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan, Tuesday. Photo by Japan Defense Ministry/EPA
A magnitude 7.1 earthquake hit southwestern Japan on Kyushu Island Tuesday, trapping people inside a shopping mall and injuring dozens.
The quake struck at 4:27 p.m. local time Tuesday, and about 300,000 people were told to go to evacuation shelters. There was a tsunami warning, but it was removed within an hour of the quake. At least 50 people have been taken to local hospitals.
Officials said there are “many people” believed trapped inside the Aeon Mall in the Kumamoto prefecture. The fire department in the town of Kashima said, “a shopping complex’s second floor collapsed, leaving many people trapped inside.”
Kyodo News reported that there was an explosion in the mall after people had been evacuated, and that caused people to be trapped inside. The second floor of the building collapsed.
Japan sees about 1,500 earthquakes per year, the BBC reported.
The epicenter of the quake was about 12 miles south of Kumamoto, Kyushu island’s largest city. Its population is about 700,000. Japan’s meteorological agency warned that because of the quake’s shallow epicenter, there could be strong aftershocks.
“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 on Tuesday.
She said 3,600 soldiers were being sent to help with disaster recovery.
The International Atomic Energy Agency posted on X that the quake “caused no damage or safety issues at the Sendai Nuclear Power Plant, located around 62 miles from the epicenter, and that it remains in operation. The IAEA will continue to monitor the situation.”
Video broadcast by Japan’s national broadcaster NHK shows buildings on fire and cracked roads and bridges, the BBC reported.
A man, 44, who runs a nearby hair salon told Kyodo News that he heard a loud noise that sounded like a car crash. “I saw a plume of white smoke right after (the explosion),” he said.
Train services have been suspended, and thousands of homes are without electricity.
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Astronaut Buzz Aldrin walks on the surface of the Moon during the Apollo 11 mission on July 20, 1969. Photo by NASA/UPI | License Photo
