Rescue operations continued after a magnitude-7.1 earthquake struck Kumamoto on Kyushu, with the death toll reaching 18, the AP reported. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said all response units have been mobilised and described the effort as a "race against time." The quake collapsed the second floor of an Aeon Mall and caused a fatal chimney collapse at a paper factory; officials warned of likely strong aftershocks and noted a heatwave near 40°C is hampering relief efforts.
Powerful 7.1 Quake Devastates Kumamoto — Death Toll Rises to 18 as Rescuers Race Against Time
Rescuers scramble to locate survivors as death toll climbs to 18 after powerful quake hits southwestern Japan
Rescue teams continued searching into Wednesday after a magnitude-7.1 earthquake struck Kumamoto prefecture on Kyushu, with the Associated Press reporting the confirmed death toll has reached 18.
Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said authorities had mobilised all available response units and warned that rescuers were in a "race against time" to reach people trapped beneath rubble. A heatwave pushing temperatures close to 40°C in parts of Kumamoto is complicating relief operations.
AEON Mall, which was destroyed by an explosion following an earthquake, is seen in Kashima, Kumamoto Prefecture, southern Japan, Wednesday, July 29, 2026 - Hiro Komae/Copyright 2026 The AP. All rights reserved
"There are people who are still waiting to be rescued, and it's a race against time. We will go all out to find and rescue as many people as we can." — Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi
Damage, Casualties and Ongoing Rescue Work
The tremor struck late on Tuesday afternoon and was centred in the Kumamoto area on Japan's southern main island of Kyushu. Officials said the quake was the strongest to hit the region in a decade; residents compared the shaking with the devastating 2016 Kumamoto earthquakes.
At least 18 people have been confirmed dead. Rescuers, including Japan's Self-Defense Forces, continued searching damaged buildings — notably a badly damaged Aeon Mall in Kashima Town where the second floor collapsed and people were reported trapped beneath rubble. Local authorities are investigating reports of an explosion at the mall, possibly linked to a gas leak.
Police officers control the traffic near AEON Mall, which was destroyed by an explosion following an earthquake, in Kashima, Kumamoto, southern Japan, Wednesday, July 29, 2026 - Hiro Komae/Copyright 2026 The AP. All rights reserved
At the Nippon Paper Industries plant in Yatsushiro, a collapsed chimney killed five people, officials said, and several others were trapped under debris; some survivors have already been rescued from that site. Local hospitals reported dozens of injured: about 40 were treated in Yatsushiro and roughly 50 in Kumamoto city.
Infrastructure And Secondary Impacts
The quake also caused a train to derail at Yatsushiro station and damaged stone walls at Kumamoto Castle, which was heavily affected by the 2016 quakes and remains under repair. Aso Kumamoto Airport's runway was closed with no immediate reopening time announced. Many manufacturers in Kyushu temporarily suspended operations but planned to resume after inspections found no major damage.
Authorities emphasised the risk of strong aftershocks over the next two to three days and urged residents to remain vigilant. Emergency teams continue to distribute water, food and other essentials to hard-hit areas while transporting the injured to hospitals for treatment.
The affected prefecture lies about 900 kilometres southwest of Tokyo. The situation remains fluid as search-and-rescue efforts continue and officials work to assess the full extent of damage.
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