A powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 7.1 struck Kumamoto Prefecture on the island of Kyushu on July 28 at 4:27 p.m. local time. According to CNN, the epicenter was at a depth of about 10 kilometers, and more than 60 aftershocks were recorded after the main tremor.

The death toll has reached 13, with hundreds injured and dozens still missing. Nearly 10,000 people have been evacuated from the hardest-hit areas.

About 3,600 Japan Self-Defense Forces personnel have been deployed for rescue operations. The main focus is on clearing debris at the Aeon shopping center, where a gas leak caused an explosion and partially collapsed the second floor. Eight people have been rescued, but authorities fear more may be trapped.

Search and rescue efforts are also ongoing at the Nippon Paper Industries plant in Yatsushiro, where a chimney collapse trapped workers.

The earthquake caused severe infrastructure damage: a bridge on a major highway sank and deformed, deep cracks appeared on roads, and a freight train derailed near Yatsushiro Station. Approximately 37,000 homes are without power, and water supply and communication disruptions are reported in several areas. Shinkansen bullet train services have been suspended, dozens of flights canceled, and Kumamoto Airport has limited operations.

Major companies including TSMC, Sony, Fujifilm, Tokyo Electron, and Honda have temporarily halted operations or evacuated staff due to the earthquake's aftermath.

The Sendai Nuclear Power Plant, located about 100 kilometers from the epicenter, reported no abnormalities. The IAEA stated there is no threat to nuclear safety. The tsunami warning has been lifted, but the Japan Meteorological Agency warned of a high likelihood of strong aftershocks and landslide risks.

Japan is one of the most seismically active countries in the world, recording about 1,500 earthquakes of varying magnitudes annually. The last devastating series of quakes in Kumamoto Prefecture occurred in 2016, claiming 278 lives.

Source: podrobno.uz