Death Toll Rises to 13 After Powerful Earthquake Hits Japan

Tokyo, July 29, 2026 [VoM News]: Nearly, 13 people have lost their lives after a powerful earthquake struck Japan, located on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” on Tuesday.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi confirmed the details, and informed that rescue teams are continously doing the search operations in the affected areas.

The earthquake caused widespread damage across parts of Kumamoto Prefecture, triggering fires, collapsing buildings, damaging bridges and disrupting transport services.

As per U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the earthquake measured 6.8-magnitude struck at 4:27 p.m. local time at a depth of 10 kilometres, leading to widespread damage.

A shopping mall in Kashima hit with a major gas explosion, and got totally damaged, where, as per reports, the customers and staff had already been evacuated.

So far, as details available to VoM News, eight people were rescued from the building, five of them injured, while authorities continued efforts to reach those believed to be trapped inside.

Reports say that nine workers were reported missing after a smokestack partially collapsed at a Nippon Paper Industries factory in Yatsushiro.

Around 36,900 households and facilities across Kumamoto affected, alongwith the severe to roads, railway infrastructure, Kumamoto Castle, Shinkansen bullet train services in the region.

Around 3,600 military personnel and 20 aircraft had been deployed in Japan to assist with rescue and relief operations, Defense Ministry revealed in a statement.