Tokyo (AsiaNews/Agencies) – This afternoon, a strong, 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck Kumamoto Prefecture, on the island of Kyushu, southwestern Japan, with possibly many injured or dead.
An explosion that followed the quake saw the second-floor roof at Aeon Mall Kumamoto in Kashima cave in, injuring more than 50 people, according to initial reports.
The main quake at 4:27 pm registered a maximum level of 7 on the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) Seismic Intensity Scale (Shindo) in the towns of Uki and Hikawa, with the epicentre in Kumamoto Prefecture at a depth of approximately 10 kilometres.
This level indicates an extremely dangerous situation with people unable to stand or move except crawling, potentially thrown to the ground by the force of the movement.
An intensity of 7 has not been recorded in Japan since January 2024, when a violent earthquake struck the Noto Peninsula, central Japan.
The Uki fire department reported receiving multiple emergency calls immediately after the quake, with several people possibly injured, and rescue teams checking the area.
According to local authorities and the power company, some 48,000 homes in the prefecture have suffered power outages.
The earthquake was also clearly felt in Yatsushiro, a town in Kumamoto Prefecture where Father Ferruccio Brambillasca, a PIME missionary, carries out his ministry.
The PIME community in Japan reports that both Brambillasca and Father Giuseppe Piazzini, another confrere who lives in this area of Japan, are safe.
“But there was also damage to the church and parish house in Yatsushiro, where Father Ferruccio lives,” noted reports from Tokyo.
“We entrust to the Lord all those affected by this earthquake and mention in our prayers Father Ferruccio, the Christian community, and all those who are going through these difficult hours,” they added.
The earthquake was also felt in neighbouring prefectures, reaching an intensity greater than 5 in Kagoshima Prefecture and less than 5 in Fukuoka and Saga prefectures.
At a press conference, the JMA issued a warning of the risk of collapsing buildings and landslides, urging the public to remain vigilant for more tremors of similar intensity in the coming days.
Kumamoto Prefecture experienced a serious seismic emergency in 2016, when two consecutive earthquakes of magnitude 6.5 and 7.3 killed 270 people, causing extensive damage.
