Kumamoto quake leaves 2 dead, infrastructure damage widens

2026-07-28

Following the earthquake that recorded a maximum seismic intensity of 7 in Kumamoto Prefecture, police, firefighters and others continued searching through the night of the 29th for people whose safety remained unconfirmed. According to the prefecture, two deaths were confirmed at AEON Mall Kumamoto in Kashima Town, where an explosion occurred after the quake, and one person was in cardiopulmonary arrest.

Rescue efforts continue at the scene

At the Nippon Paper Yatsushiro mill, part of a chimney broke off and fell, trapping 11 people. Two were rescued but were in cardiopulmonary arrest, and the safety of the remaining nine is unknown. According to police sources, there is also information that around 20 to 30 people, including employees, were left inside AEON Mall Kumamoto. A senior government official said late on the 28th that a gas leak may have been the cause.

According to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, evacuation orders were issued at 11:50 p.m. on the 28th for more than 200,000 people in six municipalities in Kumamoto Prefecture. The Japan Meteorological Agency said the quake had characteristics similar to the Kumamoto earthquake in April 2016 and urged people to remain alert for earthquakes of a similar scale for about the next week. By 11 p.m. on the 28th, 12 quakes of intensity 4 or higher had been observed.

Utilities also hit

According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, water supplies were cut off to 140,000 households in 17 municipalities in Kumamoto Prefecture. In Yatsushiro, outages affected all 60,000 households in the city. The ministry asked the Japan Water Works Association to send water trucks to the disaster area. Kyushu Electric Power said 41,730 households in the prefecture were without power as of the early hours of the 29th.

Transport operators are also continuing their response. The Kyushu Shinkansen will remain suspended across the entire line on the 29th. Kumamoto City Transportation Bureau said streetcars will run from the first service on all lines, but at slower-than-usual speeds to ensure safety. At Kumamoto Airport, Japan Airlines decided to cancel 11 flights and All Nippon Airways two flights.

According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, the high temperature in the Kumamoto area on the 29th is forecast at 34 degrees Celsius, and from the 30th the area is expected to stay under high pressure, bringing continued days of extreme heat above 35 degrees. The agency is urging caution over heatstroke prevention, including staying hydrated. This was the first time Japan has recorded a seismic intensity of 7 since the Noto Peninsula earthquake in 2024, and the agency named the latest quake the Reiwa 8 Kumamoto Earthquake on the 28th.

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