Rescuers race to find survivors in collapsed shopping mall after Japan earthquake

At least two people were killed in the collapse, and dozens were injured after a major quake hit the Kumamoto prefecture, the country's public broadcaster said

Updated 5:58 PM EDT, Tue July 28, 2026
Here's the latest

• Earthquake hits: A 6.8-magnitude earthquake that hit Japan’s southern Kumamoto prefecture has left many people trapped after a shopping mall partially collapsed. Several are also unaccounted for at a paper factory and a highway bridge has buckled. Japan’s prime minister said authorities will work “through the night” to coordinate the rescue operations. Track the impact in maps and charts here.
• Several reported dead: Two people have died following the shopping mall collapse, according to the country’s public broadcaster NHK. Earlier, CNN affiliate TV Asahi cited police sources as saying that several people had been killed. NHK previously said 20 to 30 employees couldn’t be contacted after the collapse.
• Dozens injured: One hospital had reported more than 50 injuries, NHK said. Several people on a high-speed train at the time of the quake were ⁠also injured, according to Nikkei newspaper.
• Tremor warning: Residents who felt the biggest tremors ​must be alert to further strong quakes for about a week as well as the risk of landslides, the Japan Meteorological Agency said. Kumamoto has been hit by powerful earthquakes before. In 2016, a series of quakes in the prefecture killed 275 people in one of Japan’s costliest natural disasters of recent decades.

27 min ago

"The ground felt alive": Office workers flee as Japan earthquake sets off sprinklers

By Caroll Alvarado and Caitlin Danaher

Employees at an office in Kumamoto, Japan, rush to evacuate after a powerful 6.8.-magnitude earthquake struck on Tuesday. Tsunetaka Hioki/think garbage

An office was left in disarray by the powerful 6.8.-magnitude earthquake that struck southern Japan, with video showing desks overturned and items strewn across the floor as employees evacuate.

The office suffered “considerable damage,” as PCs toppled over and desks “swayed and collapsed violently,” Tsunetaka Hioki, the founder of the recruitment company think garbage, said in a post on social media.

Video posted by the business owner showed people escaping as sprinklers rained down on computers, flooding the room.

“We hid under desks like during an air raid, but the ground felt alive, pushing up from below,” he added.

1 hr 18 min ago

Two people killed in shopping mall collapse, Japanese public broadcaster NHK says

By Issy Ronald and Billy Stockwell

NHK - Two women in their 20s have died after a shopping mall in Japan partially collapsed in an explosion following Tuesday’s earthquake, according to the country’s public broadcaster NHK.

Six other people have so far been rescued from the site, including one who had suffered from a “cardiopulmonary arrest” and five who were hurt but do not have life-threatening injuries, NHK reported.

Firefighters inspect the area around AEON Mall Kumamoto following an explosion in Kumamoto prefecture, Japan, on July 28. Kazuki Wakasugi/The Yomiuri Shimbun/AP

Earlier, CNN affiliate TV Asahi cited police sources as saying that several people had been killed in the mall collapse after a 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck the city of Kumamoto, in southern Japan.

TV Asahi did not confirm at the time the number of deaths nor whether those killed were employees or customers.

NHK previously said 20 to 30 employees at Aeon Mall Kumamoto could not be contacted after the collapse.

This post has been updated with more details on the death toll.



1 hr 54 min ago

3,600 military personnel mobilized to "expedite" rescue efforts in Japan

By Billy Stockwell

Thousands of military personnel have been mobilized in Japan amid an effort to “expedite” rescue and relief efforts, the country’s public broadcaster NHK reported Wednesday morning local time.

In response to a request from authorities in Kumamoto prefecture, where the 6.8-magnitude struck on Tuesday, NHK said defense forces had “mobilized approximately 3,600 personnel.”

“Following the earthquake in Kumamoto prefecture, the government has confirmed that extensive damage has been reported and plans to expedite rescue and relief efforts,” NHK said.

The military personnel, who will work in coordination with local police and fire departments, will assess damage in order to “accelerate rescue and relief efforts,” NHK reported.

The public broadcaster also said plans were being made to hold an emergency response meeting to “identify the immediate needs of the affected areas.”

1 hr 58 min ago

Two people found in "state of cardiopulmonary arrest" at paper factory, officials say

By Hanako Montgomery, Issy Ronald and Billy Stockwell

Fire vehicles enter Nippon Paper Industries' Yatsushiro Mill, where multiple people are reported missing, in Yatsushiro City, Kumamoto prefecture, Japan, on Wednesday, July 29. Koichi Nagano/The Yomiuri Shimbun/AP

Nine people remain missing at the Nippon paper factory in Yatsushiro City, Kumamoto prefecture, after the site suffered extensive damage in Tuesday’s earthquake, Japan’s public broadcaster NHK reported citing local authorities.

The factory sustained significant damage as a result of the 6.8-magnitude quake, with one of its chimneys snapping off, footage and images show.

Local officials said in an overnight briefing that two people were found in a “state of cardiopulmonary arrest” at the factory, NHK said, without confirming whether the two were alive or not. “The whereabouts of nine others remain unknown,” the public broadcaster added.



3 hr 11 min ago

Japan quake sparks closure of more than 150 facilities in Kumamoto, local authorities say

By Billy Stockwell

Some buildings at Nippon Paper Industries' Yatsushiro Mill lie collapsed, with multiple people reported missing, in Yatsushiro City, Kumamoto prefecture, Japan, on July 29. Koichi Nagano/The Yomiuri Shimbun/AP

More than 150 facilities across the Japanese city of Kumamoto have been closed due to Tuesday’s 6.8-magnitude quake, according to local authorities, with some being turned into temporary evacuation shelters.

As of early Wednesday morning local time, a total of 178 sites had been shut, including libraries, community centers, public parks and sports facilities, the city’s disaster prevention body posted on its website.

Meanwhile, dozens of events scheduled to take place over the coming days have also been canceled, such as medical screenings and seminars, the website said.



3 hr 14 min ago

Where the earthquake is estimated to have caused the strongest shaking

By Koko Nakajima, Renée Rigdon, Matt Stiles, Alex Leeds Matthews and Maureen Chowdhury

A magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck Kumamoto prefecture on Japan’s southwestern island of Kyushu on Tuesday, killing several people, injuring dozens and damaging buildings in an area devastated by deadly earthquakes in 2016.

Here’s where the quake shook hardest:

4 hr 16 min ago

Hospital in Kumamoto says it is "at full capacity" after earthquake

By Billy Stockwell

A 400-bed hospital in Kumamoto is “already at full capacity” after today’s devastating earthquake, with dozens of people injured in the quake being treated at the facility, according to Japan’s public broadcaster NHK.

Saiseikai Kumamoto Hospital, in the city’s south, said it had temporarily suspended “pre-scheduled hospitalizations” amid the emergency response, NHK reported. “The hospital is asking people to refrain from outpatient visits on (July 29), except emergency cases,” the broadcaster added.

“People injured by furniture that fell during the earthquake, such as those with fractures, are being brought in one after another. We have 400 beds, but we are already at full capacity,” NHK cited the hospital’s public relations director as saying.

Adding to the pressure, the director said the hospital itself was damaged in the 6.8-magnitude quake, with water leaks and collapsed walls in several areas.

1 hr 46 min ago

Four people rescued from Kumamoto shopping mall, authorities say

By Billy Stockwell

Four people have been rescued from Japan’s Aeon Mall Kumamoto, a shopping center which partially collapsed after today’s 6.8-magnitude earthquake, the country’s public broadcaster NHK said, citing local authorities.

“So far, four people have been rescued, and none of them are in life-threatening condition,” NHK said early Wednesday morning local time.

Emergency workers are seen outside the Aeon Mall Kumamoto on Tuesday. Michihiro Kawamura/The Yomiuri Shimbun/AP

However, NHK cited local officials as saying the whereabouts of at least 10 other people remains unknown.

Local authorities said earlier that an explosion which triggered the partial collapse of the mall may have been caused by a gas leak, after gas equipment was damaged in the quake, CNN affiliate TV Asahi reported. Investigations into the exact cause of the explosion are ongoing.



5 hr 12 min ago

What to know as rescue efforts continue after magnitude 6.8 quake hits Kumamoto

By Maureen Chowdhury, Issy Ronald, Hanako Montgomery and Billy Stockwell

We’re tracking the latest developments after a deadly magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck Kumamoto prefecture in southern Japan on Tuesday.

A number of people were killed in the collapse at the Aeon Mall in Kumamoto, according to CNN affiliate TV Asahi, which cited police sources. They have not confirmed the number of deaths or whether those killed were employees or customers.

Several people are also reportedly unaccounted for at a paper factory, a highway bridge has buckled, and at least one other building has collapsed.

If you’re just joining us, here’s what else you need to know:

• Another earthquake, measuring magnitude 4.1, struck Kumamoto prefecture at 12:15 a.m. Wednesday local time, according to NHK One. No tsunami warning or threat was issued. This was described as a moderate aftershock. The Japan Meteorological Agency has reported numerous aftershocks following the earthquake.
• Defense Minister Shinjirō Koizumi said that ground self-defense force units have been deployed to carry out rescue efforts, NHK One reported.
• Authorities believe an explosion at Japan’s Aeon Mall Kumamoto, which partially collapsed after the earthquake, may have been caused by a gas leak, CNN affiliate TV Asahi reported. The broadcaster cited multiple government officials saying a strong smell of gas was detected at the scene. The investigation is ongoing.
• Rail services have been greatly disrupted, and the airport in Kumamoto has canceled all flights for the rest of the day following the earthquake.
• More than 46,000 households in the area were without power, according to Kyushu Electric Power, though there are signs indicating that some service is being restored.
• Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has vowed to support those affected by the earthquake on the island of Kyushu, saying that her government will work tirelessly to respond to the emergency.
• The government has pledged to provide essential supplies such as food and water, as well as portable air conditioners and power generators to help prevent heatstroke during Japan’s hot summer months.