Deaths confirmed in Kumamoto prefecture, workers missing in shopping mall collapse
Anton Bridge And Mariko Katsumura
Updated ,first published
A powerful 7.1-magnitude earthquake that struck Japan’s southwestern island of Kyushu on Tuesday killed at least three people, injured dozens and damaged buildings including a shopping mall where many people were feared trapped after the explosion.
According to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), the epicenter of the tremor was in Kumamoto prefecture, approximately 900 kilometers from central Tokyo, and occurred at an extremely shallow depth of 10 kilometers.
The explosion occurred at the Aeon shopping mall in the town of Kashima in Kumamoto prefecture, according to a spokesman. Broadcaster NHK said about 20 to 30 workers were missing at the prefecture’s largest shopping mall. Fire crews had previously said many people were trapped inside.
According to NHK, two people are presumed dead after a chimney collapsed at the Nippon Paper Industries factory in Yatsushiro, while nine people are still missing.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told the media that he had received the first reports of injuries, while NHK reported that at least 80 people were injured. Kyodo News reported that one person was killed in a collapsed house.
Operators said that many passengers on high-speed trains were also injured during the earthquake.
Speaking to reporters at his office in Tokyo, Takaichi said authorities were still assessing the extent of damage in the area, which was devastated by a deadly earthquake a decade ago.
“We have already received information that people have been injured. There have been power outages and fires in some areas, as well as damage to roads and bridges, and buildings collapsed,” he said.
“I ask everyone to take action to protect themselves, including evacuating to safety.”
The disaster management agency said about 300,000 people had been ordered to evacuate centers, while Takaichi said 3,600 soldiers would be deployed to assist disaster relief efforts as aftershocks continued.
The maximum seismic intensity of the earthquake was estimated at 7 on the Japanese scale. According to the JMA, shaking of this magnitude makes standing impossible. The first earthquake, which occurred just before 16.30 Japan time, was followed by a series of aftershocks in the same area.
An Aeon spokesman said customers and employees were evacuated immediately after the initial earthquake, and the exact cause of the ensuing explosion was unclear.
Kazuya Tsurunaga told TBS that he heard the explosion while cleaning plates broken by the earthquake at a bar about 300 meters away from the Aeon shopping mall.
“It was a huge impact,” he said. “A huge cloud of smoke rose up and because the wind was blowing and the wind direction was towards the shop, the area around us looked like it was raining volcanic ash.”
Aeon mall reopened last month as a new and improved shopping and entertainment complex to mark its recovery from the deadly tremor a decade ago.
The mall was so badly damaged by the 7.3 magnitude Kumamoto earthquake in April 2016 that it had to close for months and rebuild for longer periods. The mall, which underwent redevelopment and expansion in 2017, touted its seismically reinforced ceilings and overall improvements in safety and durability.
Rail operator JR Kyushu has halted all services, while Kumamoto airport’s runway has been closed for security checks and no timeframe has been set for reopening. Power outages were reported at some 7-Eleven stores in Kumamoto, while mobile services were disrupted at NTT Docomo.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said no irregularities had been reported at nuclear power facilities.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing said it has evacuated staff at its Japan Advanced Semiconductor Manufacturing facility. TSMC, the leading chipmaker for Nvidia and Apple, operates a factory in Kumamoto prefecture, and a second facility is under construction.
Sony Group produces image sensors used in smartphones in Kyushu, while Tokyo Electron produces chip tools and advanced packaging equipment in the region.
Chipmaking in particular is highly sensitive to physical shocks or interruptions in power and processes, and small glitches can sometimes destroy entire batches of valuable products.
Japan is one of the most earthquake-prone countries in the world, with a tremor occurring at least every five minutes. Located along the “Ring of Fire” of volcanoes and oceanic trenches that partially surround the Pacific Basin, Japan is responsible for about 20 percent of the world’s earthquakes of magnitude 6.0 or greater.
A tsunami warning was issued immediately after Tuesday’s earthquake, but was later lifted.
Kyushu Electric Power said 48,000 homes lost power due to the latest earthquake, while railway company JR Kyushu said it suspended services, including high-speed bullet trains.
According to official figures, in the major earthquake that occurred in Kumamoto 10 years ago, 275 people died, 2739 people were injured and thousands of buildings were damaged, including the city’s castle, one of the most important tourist attractions.
Parts of the stone walls in the castle also collapsed as a result of Tuesday’s earthquake, an official from the castle’s office said.
Reuters/Bloomberg
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