At least 34 people have died following a 7.1-magnitude earthquake that struck Japan's south-western region on Tuesday, July 28th, 2026. The quake heavily impacted the Kumamoto area on the southern main island of Kyushu, displacing approximately 9,000 people.

Rescue teams continued searching for survivors on Thursday, July 30th, in Kumamoto, where the prefectural government reported 34 confirmed deaths, five people in critical condition, and at least 86 injured. Among the fatalities, seven were confirmed at a mall site after an explosion, with 11 people pulled from the wreckage.

Nearly 19,000 homes remain without electricity, and over 9,000 individuals are sheltering in roughly 400 evacuation centers. Efforts are underway to install power sources to provide air conditioning amid rising temperatures.

The Ministry of Environment issued a heat stroke alert for Kumamoto, forecasting temperatures up to 33 degrees Celsius on Thursday. Survivors described the ordeal of returning home and desperately pulling family members from debris.

Yoshiaki Nakashima, a 66-year-old resident, said he is staying in his car with his dog rather than at one of the three evacuation centers, citing discomfort: "It's difficult to turn over while sleeping in a car." Meanwhile, Dr. Yutaka Kobayashi, dispatched from Aichi prefecture, is touring evacuation centers to monitor the condition of evacuees, particularly elderly and injured individuals, emphasizing the need to prevent heat strokes and dehydration.

Aeon reported evacuating about 3,000 customers to a parking lot before the mall explosion occurred.

Sources