Japan rocked by major earthquake; buildings collapsed, people trapped
Japan rocked by major earthquake; buildings collapsed, people trapped
Jeanine Santucci and Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA TODAYTue, July 28, 2026 at 11:28 AM UTC
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A major earthquake struck Japan on July 28, injuring at least 50 people, collapsing buildings and damaging roads, according to authorities and local news reports.
The quake hit at 4:27 p.m. local time about 3 miles east of the coastal city of Uto in the Kumamoto Prefecture. It had a magnitude of 6.8, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The Japanese Meteorological Agency reported the magnitude at 7.1.
In the initial aftermath of the earthquake, Japanese authorities issued a tsunami warning that was later lifted. The country's meteorological agency warned residents that additional strong earthquakes could happen over the next week. Landslides are also a major risk in areas with weakened ground, the agency said.
More than 50 people were reportedly injured at one hospital, according to public broadcaster NHK. At a shopping mall, people were trapped after an explosion, according to fire officials. Images from outside the Aeon mall in Kashima Town show a badly damaged building among debris.
"We have already been informed that people have been injured," Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said. "Power outages and fires have occurred in some areas, and there has also been damage to roads and bridges and the collapse of buildings."
The power company Kyushu Electric Power said nearly 46,000 homes in the Kumamoto Prefecture were without power after the earthquake.
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Of all the countries within the seismically active zone around the Pacific Ocean, Japan is among the most active, according to the USGS. It’s within the “Ring of Fire,” and lies at the western edge of the Pacific plate, at the intersection of tectonic plates and along subduction zones, where rock slabs deep in the Earth move under others.
Japan’s dense seismic network also means it catches and records more earthquakes.
Just over a decade ago, on April 16, 2016, a magnitude 7.0 quake hit Kumamoto, a day after strong foreshocks killed several people. In total, more than 200 were killed in the quakes.
The Aeon mall, where people were reportedly trapped on July 28, was also badly damaged in the 2016 earthquake.
Contributing: Reuters
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Japan rocked by major earthquake; buildings collapsed, people trapped
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