Japan earthquake today: Several feared dead in Kashima Town's Aeon Mall as 7.1 quake triggers blast

Published 28 July 2026 · world

Several people trapped inside a shopping mall, Aeon Mall, are feared dead after a floor collapsed during the 7.1-magnitude earthquake on Tuesday in southwestern Japan

Several people trapped inside a shopping mall, Aeon Mall, are feared dead after a floor collapsed during the 7.1-magnitude earthquake on Tuesday in southwestern Japan. Without specifying a number, emergency services told news agency AFP that there were “many people” trapped inside the shopping complex in Kashima town, whose second floor collapsed. Police said earlier they had received reports of what sounded like an explosion at the Aeon Mall outlet in the Kumamoto region, with no information on damage or any casualties. Japan's public broadcaster NHK, citing national police, said most of the people trapped inside are employees. Firefighters have arrived at the scene but cannot enter the building from the first floor, hindering their rescue operations, NHK added.

Police said "quite a few" were presumed dead in the incident, broadcaster TBS reported. The earthquake has knocked out power to thousands of homes, ruptured roads, and left some trapped. Around 300,000 people have been instructed to go to evacuation centres, the disaster management agency said. ‘Take action to protect themselves’ Speaking to reporters at her office in Tokyo, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said authorities were still assessing the full extent of the damage in the area, which was devastated by a deadly quake a decade ago. "We have already been informed that people have been injured. Power outages and fires have occurred in some areas, and there has also been damage to roads and bridges and the collapse of buildings," Takaichi said.

"I ask everyone to take action to protect themselves, including evacuating to a safe location," Takaichi said, adding that 3,600 soldiers would be deployed to help with the disaster recovery as aftershocks continued to rumble. Japan earthquake One hospital had reported more than 50 injuries, public broadcaster NHK said. Several people on a high-speed train at the time of the quake were also injured, the media reported. Several other buildings were also on fire or partially collapsed, according to footage from NHK, while large cracks appeared on major roads, including an elevated highway. Rail services were halted and flights grounded. The quake’s epicentre was about 20 kilometres (12 miles) south of Kumamoto, central Kyushu island's largest city, with a population of around 700,000.

Also Read | Nvidia CEO says Taiwan prevented Japan from taking over US semicon industry Residents in the areas that felt the biggest tremors must beware of further strong quakes for about a week, as well as the risk of landslides, an official for the Japan Meteorological Agency said.