"Reminds Me of 10 Years Ago"... Kumamoto Residents Terrified by Magnitude 7.1 Earthquake

As a strong magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck Kumamoto, Kyushu, Japan, on the 28th, residents were gripped by fear, recalling the nightmare of the strong earthquake that hit the area 10 years ago.

According to Kyodo News and other reports, when the strong quake shook Uki City and Hikawa Town in Kumamoto Prefecture that day, roads buckled and stone walls collapsed.

As the strong shaking continued, residents who experienced a strong earthquake in the area just 10 years ago in 2016 expressed their anxiety one after another, saying, "It brought back memories of that time" and "I couldn't stand up."

An 89-year-old man living in Uki said with a trembling voice, "It rattled and shook side to side and up and down for about 10 to 20 seconds," adding, "It was worse than the (10 years ago) Kumamoto earthquake."

A female employee working at a nursing home in Hikawa Town desperately said, "Even by holding onto and hanging onto a desk, I couldn't support my body," and "Both residents and staff fell and were injured."

Hikawa Town Hall employee Sakai Hisai-ro said in an urgent voice that the side-to-side shaking was severe, noting, "It was to the extent that I couldn't stand, and it felt like being thrown."

Kai Yojo of Tsumori Shrine in Mashiki Town, Kumamoto Prefecture, which also suffered damage during the earthquake 10 years ago, said, "I was anxious that the main hall or main gate might tilt again."

It is known that two stone lanterns collapsed at this shrine due to the current earthquake.

At a ryokan in Kamiamakusa City, Kumamoto Prefecture, alcohol and tableware fell to the floor, and the floor was submerged amidst the possibility of damaged water pipes.

An official at this ryokan vented, "We have just entered the peak season, and reservations are already being canceled."

Shimoda Hiroki, a town hall employee in Mifune Town, Kumamoto Prefecture, where shaking of intensity 6-lower was felt, said, "It was terrifying as the shaking reminded me of the (10 years ago) Kumamoto earthquake," and "Roof tiles of surrounding houses were collapsing everywhere."

Unlike "magnitude," which signifies absolute strength, seismic intensity, which is the Japan Meteorological Agency's earthquake grading scale, is a relative concept that numerically indicates how people in a given area feel or the degree of shaking of surrounding objects when an earthquake occurs.

Kyodo News reported that some passengers were stranded as train services, including the Shinkansen, were suspended due to the earthquake.

A man living in Kumamoto said at Hakata Station in Fukuoka, "I came to Fukuoka to visit and was planning to return today, but I have decided to wait."

Just as residents reported that the shaking was stronger than 10 years ago, concerns are also being raised that the scale of damage related to this earthquake could rival the strong earthquake of 2016.

The strong Kumamoto earthquake of magnitude 7.3 that occurred on April 16, 2016, resulted in approximately 270 deaths, of which 50 died due to building collapses and other causes at the time of the earthquake.

The rest are understood to have survived the earthquake but passed away during evacuation life.

At that time, 8,667 houses were destroyed, and up to 184,000 evacuees occurred.
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.