Death toll rises to 18 as rescuers comb through devastating Japan earthquake rubble

The Disaster

A powerful 7.1-magnitude earthquake hit Japan's Kumamoto prefecture on the southern main island of Kyushu, killing at least 18 people including a foreigner, and injuring at least 62 people, with six seriously injured. The quake struck at 4:27 p.m. local time on Tuesday, with a depth of 10 kilometers (6.2 miles), followed by multiple aftershocks.

The Damage

Soldiers and emergency workers combed through a badly damaged shopping mall and collapsed houses looking for trapped survivors. The Aeon mall in the town of Kashima was apparently gutted by a gas explosion, collapsing ceilings and walls. Four deaths were confirmed at the mall site, with three people remaining missing. In nearby Yatsushino, a chimney collapse at a Nippon Paper Industries factory killed five people.

Rescue Operations

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said "every second counts" as thousands of military personnel mobilized to reach those who are trapped. Japanese media footage of the mall showed that part of the ceiling had caved in, and metal pieces and other debris were scattered about as helmeted and masked rescue workers searched the area. Witnesses described the terror of the moment: A 74-year-old resident at a nearby supermarket said he thought he was going to die when the shaking began as he was pushing his cart toward a cash register.

Historical Context

Kumamoto was hit by two devastating earthquakes in 2016 — one of magnitude 6.5, followed two days later by one of magnitude 7.3 — which killed 273 people and injured more than 2,800. Japan typically experiences hundreds of jolts every year and accounts for about 18 percent of the world's earthquakes, though the vast majority are mild.