Kumamoto 7.1 earthquake kills five

A 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck Japan's Japan — Kumamoto Prefecture on July 28, 2026, killing at least five people and injuring seven others. The quake caused a gas explosion at an Aeon shopping mall in Kashima, collapsing ceilings and walls, and partially collapsed a smokestack at a Nippon Paper Industries factory in Yatsushiro, leaving nine people unaccounted for. Power outages affected 36,880 households, according to Kyushu Electric Power. The Japan — Japan Self-Defense Forces mobilized 3,600 personnel for relief operations. No abnormalities were reported at nuclear plants by the Japan — Nuclear Regulation Authority. The earthquake was measured at 6.8 by the US Geological Survey and 7.1 by the Japan — Japan Meteorological Agency.