Japan is dealing with widespread devastation following a deadly earthquake.
On Tuesday, July 28, the earthquake struck near Kumamoto, Japan, about 736 miles southwest of Tokyo, at around 4:30 p.m. local time, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Two more earthquakes in the region, a magnitude 4.7 in Mifune and a magnitude 4.8 in Honmachi, were recorded hours later.
The quake damaged homes and caused several buildings to collapse, according to Reuters. On Wednesday, July 29, rescuers were working to evacuate people from a partially collapsed shopping mall, Aeon Mall, which was among the sites hit hardest by the quake.
The earthquake was a magnitude 7.1, according to the Japanese Meteorological Agency. USGS reported it was a magnitude 6.8.
Three people who worked at the mall are still unaccounted for, Akio Yoshida, the president of Aeon, a mall operator, said during a press hearing.
“Even now, there are people waiting to be rescued, and this is a race against time,” Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told reporters in Tokyo. “We will marshal all available resources on the ground to save and rescue as many people as possible.”
At least 18 people are confirmed dead as of July 29, the Associated Press and CBS News reported.
See photos of Japan in the aftermath of the earthquake7.1 magnitude earthquake hits Japan — Photos
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A major earthquake struck Japan on July 28, injuring at least 50 people, collapsing buildings and damaging roads, according to authorities and local news reports. The Japanese Meteorological Agency reported the magnitude at 7.1. People were trapped after an explosion, according to fire officials. Images from outside the Aeon mall in Kashima Town show a badly damaged building among debris.
An aerial view shows the damaged Aeon Mall shopping centre, where, according to local media, an explosion occurred after an earthquake struck Japan’s southern Kumamoto prefecture, in Kashima Town, Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan, on July 28, 2026.
(KYODO, via REUTERS)
A damaged wall is seen on the side of Aeon Mall Kumamoto after an earthquake in Kashima on July 28, 2026. “Many people” were feared trapped in a stricken shopping mall in Japan late on July 28, authorities said, after a major earthquake toppled buildings, sparked fires and reportedly injured more than 100.
The exterior wall of a shop is seen collapsed in an earthquake, in Kumamoto City, Japan on July 28, 2026.
Toppled shelving after an earthquake, with a preliminary magnitude of 7.1, struck Japan’s southern Kumamoto prefecture, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency, in Kumamoto, July 28, 2026.
Rescue workers conduct a search and rescue operation at the damaged Aeon Mall shopping centre, where, according to local media, an explosion occurred after an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.1 struck Japan’s southern Kumamoto prefecture, in Kashima Town, Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan, July 28, 2026.
A person looks at a screen, showing damage after an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.1 struck Japan’s southern Kumamoto Prefecture, in Tokyo, Japan, July 28, 2026.
Contributing: Jeanine Santucci, Dinah Voyles Pulver, Christopher Cann/ USA TODAY; Reuters
Julia Gomez is a Trending reporter for USA TODAY and covers space phenomena, scientific studies and natural disasters. Connect with her on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and TikTok: @juliamariegz, or email her at jgomez@gannett.com
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Visuals reveal aftermath of deadly earthquake in Japan
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