Major earthquake hits southern Japan, triggers tsunami warning
A powerful earthquake struck southern Japan, causing a shopping mall to collapse with dozens trapped and prompting a tsunami warning.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
A powerful earthquake struck southern Japan on Tuesday afternoon, causing a shopping mall to collapse with dozens of people trapped and triggering a tsunami warning that was later withdrawn. The quake, initially measured at magnitude 7.1 by the US Geological Survey and later revised to 6.8, hit the Kumamoto region on the southern island of Kyushu at around 4.30 pm local time. Japan's own seismic scale registered it as a level 7, the highest rating, indicating potential for severe structural damage.
The most dramatic damage occurred at the Aeon shopping mall in Kumamoto city, where an explosion followed the earthquake, causing the second floor to collapse. Local authorities reported that 20 to 30 workers at the mall were unaccounted for, and several people were confirmed dead. Emergency services worked to rescue those trapped beneath debris, with smoke and dust billowing from the wreckage. The Japanese prime minister said the government was prioritising human life and had sent research teams to assess the damage, which included power cuts affecting thousands of homes, damaged roads and bridges, and the suspension of bullet train services. One bullet train derailed, though no serious injuries were reported. The region's three nuclear power plants remained intact.
A tsunami warning was issued for the coast of Kyushu, with residents told to move inland due to a potential three-foot wave, but the warning was later revoked. The earthquake was shallow, which intensified shaking at the surface. Aftershocks continued, with residents reporting tremors every 20 minutes. The area was hit by a deadly earthquake in 2016 that killed 50 people, and officials warned of strong aftershocks for the next week. Hospitals in Kumamoto reported treating dozens of people, with some transferred to other facilities. The airport was also closed, leaving thousands of passengers stranded. Japan, one of the most earthquake-prone countries in the world, has robust building standards, but the provincial nature of Kumamoto raised concerns that older structures may have been more vulnerable.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | Channel 5 | ITV | Sky News |
|---|---|---|---|
| A tsunami advisory was issued but later withdrawn. | |||
| The Aeon Mall shopping centre in Kashima suffered an explosion and partial collapse, with reports of multiple deaths and 20 to 30 workers missing. | |||
| Bullet trains were suspended and one derailed. | · | ||
| Major roads and bridges were damaged, including a buckled highway bridge, but authorities said major infrastructure was largely unscathed. | · | ||
| The earthquake magnitude was reported as 7.1 and later revised to 6.8. | · | ||
| Three nearby nuclear power plants remained intact. | · | ||
| A paper factory chimney collapsed with people unaccounted for. | · | · | |
| A shopping mall collapsed and a bullet train derailed, with casualties and missing workers reported. | · | · |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
Sky News provided extensive live coverage with two separate segments. The first segment (Gareth Barlow) focused on visual helicopter footage of damaged buildings and the withdrawal of the tsunami advisory, with an emphasis on the physical impact of the shaking. The second segment (Jayne Secker) concentrated on the human toll, including confirmed deaths, the explosion at the shopping mall, and eyewitness accounts. The channel also included a detailed analysis from its Asia correspondent, highlighting the urban location and the risk to older buildings.
- “Tsunami advisory was issued But that has subsequently been clarified that it has been withdrawn the Tsunami threat has passed.”
- “Authorities in Japan have confirmed that multiple people are dead following an explosion at a shopping centre in the southern city of Kumamoto after a 6.8 magnitude earthquake.”
- “The more provincial the area, and this was a little bit more provincial, it is not one of Japan's kind of main cities if you like. The chances that the buildings are older, that they haven't had quite the same reinforcements are just higher.”
5 News focused on the visual destruction of the shopping mall, describing it as 'ripped apart with mangled girders'. The report highlighted the number of trapped workers (20 to 30) and included details on infrastructure damage such as a buckled highway bridge and a derailed bullet train. The channel also noted that three nearby nuclear power plants remained intact and that the area had been hit by a deadly earthquake 10 years earlier.
- “Ripped apart with mangled girders, this is how a shopping mall in the town of Kashima looks now.”
- “The second floor of the Aeon Mall collapsed. Around 20 to 30 workers are still missing.”
- “Three nearby nuclear power plants also remain intact.”
ITV1's coverage was concise, focusing on the earthquake's magnitude revision from 7.1 to 6.8, the shopping mall collapse with several people trapped, and the government's response. The report included a correspondent on the ground and emphasised the historical context of a deadly quake 10 years earlier. The channel also noted that the region's three nuclear power plants survived unscathed and that residents were warned of possible further quakes.
- “The US Geological Survey initially said the earthquake had a magnitude of 7.1, but revised it later to 6.8.”
- “This is what remains of one of Kumamoto's main shopping malls, where there were reports of an explosion. Officials say several people remain trapped.”
- “Although the government says the region's three nuclear power plants have survived unscathed.”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.