Strong 7.1 Magnitude Earthquake in Japan Claims Five Lives, Dozens Injured

TOKYO: At least five people died after a 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck Kumamoto Prefecture in southern Japan on Tuesday, triggering an explosion at a shopping mall, building collapses, power outages affecting thousands of homes and road damage across the affected areas.

The Kumamoto Prefectural Government early Wednesday said rescue teams working tirelessly through the night managed to extract eight victims from the Aeon Mall Kumamoto shopping centre, where an explosion occurred shortly after the earthquake.

Of the eight victims, two women in their 20s were confirmed dead. Five others were injured, but authorities said their conditions were not life-threatening.

Fire and rescue teams, police and Japan Self-Defense Forces (SDF) personnel conducted a joint operation throughout the night, focusing search efforts on parts of the building that received calls for help.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said authorities are still fully assessing the extent of damage in the area, which had been hit by a devastating earthquake a decade ago.

Approximately 300,000 residents were ordered to evacuate to temporary shelters, while aftershocks continued to be felt on Japan’s southwestern island of Kyushu.

Broadcaster NHK reported that several individuals were still missing after a chimney collapsed at a Nippon Paper Industries factory.

Two hospitals were also reported to be treating more than 50 victims each, with some suffering serious injuries.

Several high-speed train passengers were also injured when the earthquake struck, according to the service operator.

Authorities are also dealing with several incidents of partially collapsed or burning buildings. TV Asahi reported that one individual died due to a building collapse in a town near the epicentre.

Several roads also suffered severe damage when large cracks appeared on major highways, causing traffic congestion. Train services were suspended, while flights were also cancelled.

The world’s largest chipmaker TSMC, together with Sony and Fujifilm, evacuated workers from their respective factories following the earthquake.

TSMC in a late Tuesday statement said its facilities did not suffer damage and operations were gradually resuming.

However, semiconductor equipment manufacturer Tokyo Electron said operations at its two factories in Kumamoto were suspended until Wednesday, while Honda also temporarily halted motorcycle factory operations in the region.

The epicentre was located approximately 20 kilometres south of Kumamoto City, the largest city in central Kyushu with a population of around 700,000.

Japan Meteorological Agency officials warned residents in the worst-affected areas to be alert to the possibility of strong earthquakes for about another week, as well as the risk of landslides.

AGENSI