Death toll climbs to 34 after magnitude-7.1 quake rattles southwestern Japan
Authorities in Kumamoto prefecture say the recent 7.1-magnitude earthquake has killed 34 people and left six others seriously injured.
A powerful magnitude-7.1 earthquake hit the southwestern region of Japan on Tuesday, with its epicenter close to Uki in Kumamoto prefecture. The disaster knocked out electricity for about 40,000 homes, halted rail operations and prompted tsunami alerts on Kyushu’s southern coast. Official counts now show 34 deaths, up from an earlier 25, and six people suffering serious injuries.
Nearly half of the casualties stemmed from a structural failure at a Nippon Paper Industries paper mill and a possible gas blast at an Aeon shopping centre. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has urged the public to remain vigilant for additional aftershocks, and relief teams are grappling with water scarcity as summer heat intensifies. The event underscores Japan’s ongoing vulnerability to large-scale seismic activity.
Why it matters
The quake’s rising death toll highlights the ongoing risk of major earthquakes in Japan and the challenges of emergency response.
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