7.1 Earthquake Hits Southern Japan, Mall Partially Collapses With People Trapped Inside

A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck Kumamoto Prefecture on Japan's southern island of Kyushu at 4:27 p.m. local time Tuesday, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. The U.S. Geological Survey measured it slightly lower, at 6.8.

The quake hit the highest possible reading on Japan's Shindo shaking-intensity scale, a level of seven, according to CBS News. The epicenter was shallow, around 10 kilometers deep, which the meteorological agency said raises the risk of strong aftershocks, according to the BBC.

Roughly 150,000 people were told to move to evacuation shelters, the BBC reported. A tsunami warning for waves up to three feet was issued and then lifted within a couple hours, CBS News reported.

Mall collapse and reported explosion

The most serious damage centered on Aeon Mall Kumamoto in Kashima Town, in the Kumamoto region. Police and fire authorities said they received multiple emergency calls around 6:00 p.m. local time reporting what sounded like an explosion and white smoke rising from the building, according to Xinhua, which cited Japan's Fire and Disaster Management Agency.

Japan's Fire and Disaster Management Agency said part of the mall's second floor had collapsed, with "many people" believed trapped inside, according to both the BBC and Xinhua. Aerial footage filmed by an NHK helicopter around 6:20 p.m. showed the building's exterior wall had peeled away, exposing steel framework, with part of the roof collapsed and a large hole visible on the rooftop, Xinhua reported.

Newsweek, citing NHK World, reported that Aeon told the broadcaster customers had been evacuated from the mall, and that no casualties had been confirmed as of that report. This statement differs from the fire department's assertion to Xinhua and the BBC that people remained trapped inside. Firefighters were still working to verify the situation and carry out rescue operations, according to Xinhua, and the cause of the reported explosion remained under investigation.

Casualties and damage across the region

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said Tuesday that officials were still assessing the full scope of injuries and property damage. "I have been informed that there have already been several injuries," she said, according to both the BBC and CBS News. "Power outages and fires are happening in some areas, and roads and bridges have been damaged and buildings collapsed."

NHK reported at least 50 people were taken to hospitals, with about 10 of the injured coming from an elderly care home, according to the BBC. NHK also reported at least 12 collapsed houses, along with a derailed cargo train, cracked roads, and damaged bridges, CBS News reported.

Train services were suspended. Kyushu Electric Power said about 45,000 households and facilities in the Kumamoto region lost power, according to CBS News.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said Japan's self-defense force, fire services, and coast guard had been deployed. "We urge residents in areas where the shaking was particularly severe to pay close attention to evacuation information issued by local authorities via radio, television and the internet, and to act calmly," he said, according to the BBC.

No nuclear safety issues reported

The International Atomic Energy Agency said the earthquake "caused no damage or safety issues" at the Sendai Nuclear Power Plant, located about 100 kilometers from the epicenter, and that the plant remains in operation, according to the BBC. The IAEA said it will continue monitoring the situation.

Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority separately reported no immediate abnormalities at nuclear power plants, and Kyushu Electric Power said three nuclear reactors operating in the region at the time of the quake were functioning normally, according to CBS News.

Context: a seismically active region with a painful history

Kumamoto was devastated by two earthquakes in 2016, a magnitude 6.5 quake followed two days later by a magnitude 7.3 quake, which together killed 273 people and injured more than 2,800, according to CBS News. A magnitude 7.2 quake hit northern Japan on June 25, but caused no deaths or major damage.

Japan sits atop four major tectonic plates along the Pacific "Ring of Fire" and experiences roughly 1,500 earthquakes a year, according to the BBC. The vast majority cause little to no damage, CBS News noted.

An NHK staffer reporting live from the newsroom said the shaking continued for roughly half an hour after the initial quake, making it difficult to stand. "Shaking is continuing as I speak. Including myself, there may be some people who feel their hearts racing," the staffer said, according to CBS News.

Rescue operations at the Aeon Mall site were ongoing as of Tuesday evening local time, with the number and severity of injuries from the collapse not yet disclosed by authorities, according to Xinhua. The exact cause of the reported explosion had not been determined.