Strong 7.1 Magnitude Earthquake Hits Kumamoto, Japan... "Explosion at Shopping Mall, Dozens Unreachable"

[Anchor]

A strong magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck the southern Kumamoto region of Japan yesterday afternoon (the 29th). While 20 to 30 people remain out of contact at a shopping mall where an explosion occurred, tremors from the quake have triggered reports of shaking in southern regions of South Korea, including Busan.

Reported by Han Sung-hee.

[Reporter]

Beyond a road where vehicles are driving, parked cars and utility poles sway noticeably, and parts of the stone walls of Kumamoto Castle, considered one of Japan's top three famous castles, collapse amid billowing clouds of dust.

A wooden building within the ruins of Yatsushiro Castle, a nationally designated historic site, also caved in.

A train derailed on the tracks, highways were misaligned, and pedestrian walkways next to bridge piers collapsed.

At 4:27 PM yesterday, a magnitude 7.1 earthquake occurred in the Kumamoto region of Kyushu, Japan.

The hypocenter was at a depth of 10 km, and a maximum seismic intensity of 7 was recorded in Uki, Kumamoto.

Intensity 7 is the highest rating on the seismic intensity scale used by the Japan Meteorological Agency.

This is the first time an intensity of 7 has been observed in Japan since the Noto Peninsula earthquake in January 2024, and it marks 10 years in Kumamoto since the Kumamoto earthquake in April 2016, when intensity 7 was recorded twice.

The Japan Meteorological Agency briefly issued and then lifted tsunami advisories for nearby coastal areas.

Casualties are being reported one after another, with at least 50 people injured and transported to hospitals.

Japanese media reported that 20 to 30 people, including employees, are currently out of contact at a large shopping mall where an explosion took place.

NHK also reported that there is information indicating nearly 10 other individuals have not had their safety confirmed due to the earthquake.

Blackouts occurred in approximately 50,000 households, and all flights heading to Kumamoto from across Japan were suspended.

[Sanae Takaichi / Prime Minister of Japan : Thus far, large-scale damages such as casualties, building collapses, road damage, and fires have been confirmed.]

The Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Fukuoka stated that no South Korean casualties have been confirmed thus far, but around 800 reports of perceived tremors were received in South Korea, including Busan, Ulsan, and South Gyeongsang Province.

(Camera <Photo: Yonhap News> / Reported by Han Chul-min and Moon Hyun-jin | Video Editing by Shin Se-eun)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.