Disasters & Incidents
Japan PM reports injuries and collapsed buildings after 7.1 Kyushu quake
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said Tuesday that several injuries, collapsed buildings, fires and infrastructure damage had been reported after a magnitude-7.1 earthquake struck Kyushu in southwest Japan.
"We are still assessing the extent of injuries and property damage, but I have been informed that there have already been several injuries," Takaichi said. She said power outages and fires were happening in some areas, and that roads, bridges and buildings had been damaged.
The quake hit at 4:27 pm local time and registered level seven, the highest reading on Japan's Shindo shaking scale, the Japan Meteorological Agency said. It triggered a tsunami alert, with the agency warning that waves could reach up to one metre. Broadcaster NHK said waves of that height may already have hit.
The earthquake cut power to about 45,000 households and facilities in the Kumamoto region. Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority said no abnormalities were recorded at nuclear power plants, and Kyushu Electric Power said its three reactors in the region continued normal operations.
Kumamoto was hit by damaging earthquakes in 2016, when a magnitude-6.5 quake was followed two days later by a magnitude-7.3 quake. Those quakes killed 273 people and injured more than 2,800.
Japan is among the world's most seismically active countries, recording hundreds of tremors a year. A magnitude-7.2 quake struck northern Japan on June 25 but caused no deaths or major damage.
Update
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said several injuries had been reported after the quake.
Takaichi said power outages and fires were happening in some areas.
Takaichi said roads and bridges had been damaged and buildings had collapsed.
Source note: AFP news report published on 28 July 2026 at 08:58:28 UTC.
Update
Japan's meteorological agency said no tsunami activity had been observed so far after the quake.
A Japan Meteorological Agency spokesperson said the quake occurred inland.
The agency said it hoped to lift the tsunami advisory relatively early, depending on future sea level conditions.
Source note: AFP news report published on 28 July 2026 at 08:52:58 UTC.
Update
About 45,000 households and facilities had no power in the Kumamoto region, according to Kyushu Electric Power.
An NHK staffer reported strong continuing shaking about half an hour after the quake.
Kyushu Electric Power said three operating nuclear reactors in the region continued normal operations.
Source note: AFP news report published on 28 July 2026 at 08:24:29 UTC.
Update
Kyushu Electric Power said three nuclear reactors operating in the region when the quake struck were continuing normal operations.
Source note: AFP news report published on 28 July 2026 at 08:14:45 UTC.
Update
Japan's nuclear regulator reported no immediate abnormalities at nuclear plants after the earthquake.
Source note: AFP news report published on 28 July 2026 at 07:58:13 UTC.
Update
The earthquake occurred at 4:27 pm local time on Kyushu, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.
The tremor measured level seven, the highest level on Japan's Shindo shaking scale, according to the agency.
The tsunami could reach up to one metre and arrive at around 5:00 pm local time, according to the agency.
NHK said waves of up to that level may already have been recorded.
Source note: AFP news report published on 28 July 2026 at 07:49:32 UTC.
Uncertainty notes
The extent of injuries and property damage was still being assessed, according to Takaichi.
The supplied item did not give confirmed casualty totals.
Source
AFP news report published on .