13 confirmed dead after Japan quake caused blast at Kumamoto mall

Neena Mae Rayos, Philippine Canadian Inquirer
July 29, 2026

(Photo Courtesy: Kyodo)

TOKYO – A powerful 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck Japan’s southern Kumamoto Prefecture on Tuesday, triggering a chain of disasters that initially left at least two people dead and disrupted infrastructure across the region.

The tremor caused a massive explosion at the Aeon Mall Kumamoto shopping center, followed by a building collapse, while also rupturing roads and cutting power to thousands of homes.

Rescue teams, comprising fire crews, police, and Self-Defense Force personnel, worked through the night to search for survivors in the debris.

By early Wednesday, officials confirmed that eight people had been extracted from the mall: two women in their 20s were declared dead, one person was in cardiopulmonary arrest, and five others suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

The death toll, however, has since risen. On Wednesday, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi announced that the powerful earthquake has claimed 13 lives.

Addressing the nation from Tokyo, she noted that authorities are still assessing the full scope of the devastation, which includes fires, damaged bridges, and collapsed structures in an area still recovering from a deadly quake a decade ago.

Takaichi emphasized the ongoing efforts to manage the crisis, as the prefectural government reported that approximately 300,000 residents have been instructed to evacuate to designated shelters.