2026 Kumamoto earthquake
Earthquake in Japan
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On 28 July 2026 at 16:27:15 JST (07:27:15 UTC), an earthquake struck Kumamoto Prefecture in southern Japan with a magnitude of Mww 6.8 (MJMA 7.1) at a preliminary depth of 10 km (6.2 mi).[1][2]
  Location within Japan  Location within Kyushu | |
| UTC time |
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|---|---|
| ISC event | |
| USGS-ANSS | |
| Local date |
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| Local time | |
| Magnitude | |
| Depth |
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| Epicenter | 32.682°N 130.722°E |
| Areas affected | Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan |
| Max. intensity | JMA 7 (MMI VIII) |
| Casualties | Unspecified number of dead, 100+ injured, 25–35+ missing |
The Japan Meteorological Agency has officially named the earthquake the 2026 Kumamoto earthquake (Japanese: 令和8年熊本地震, Hepburn: Reiwa 8-nen Kumamoto jishin).[3]
Tectonic setting
Kumamoto Prefecture lies at the southern end of the Japan Median Tectonic Line, Japan's longest, where a system of active faults forks in two directions at the Beppu-Haneyama Fault Zone.[4] The earthquakes are occurring along the Beppu–Shimabara graben,[5] with epicentres moving from west to east over time.[6]
Earthquake
The earthquake occurred at 07:27 UTC on 28 July in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan. According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, the earthquake had a magnitude of MJMA 7.1.[7] The United States Geological Survey recorded an earthquake of Mww 6.8 with an epicenter 5 km (3.1 mi) east of Uto City.[1]
The earthquake was caused by strike‑slip faulting with a significant normal component. The USGS focal mechanism solution suggested coseismic slip occurred on either on a northwest-trending left‑lateral fault or northeast-trending right‑lateral fault.[1]
Seismic intensity
A maximum intensity of 7 on the Japan Meteorological Agency seismic intensity scale was recorded in Uki City and Hikawa, the highest on the scale.[7] Intensity 6+ was recorded in Minami-ku, Yatsushiro, Uto, Misato, and Mashiki.[8]
Aftershocks up to "Lower 5" on the JMA seismic intensity scale were also felt.[9]
Tremors were also felt in parts of South Korea, with more than 789 reports of the tremor being received, including 291 in Busan alone.[10]
| Intensity | Prefecture | Locations |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | Kumamoto | Uki, Hikawa |
| 6+ | Kumamoto | Kumamoto City (Minami-ku), Yatsushiro, Uto, Misato, Mashiki |
| 6− | Kumamoto | Koshi, Ōzu, Nishihara, Mifune, Kamiamakusa, Ashikita |
| 5+ | Kumamoto | Kumamoto City (Chūō, Higashi, Nishi, Kita) Yamaga, Kikuchi, Kikuyō, Minamata, Amakusa, Tsunagi |
| Nagasaki | Minamishimabara | |
| Kagoshima | Satsumasendai, Satsuma, Nagashima | |
| 5− | Kumamoto | Tamana, Nagomi, Yamato, Reihoku, Aso, Takamori, Minamiaso, Hitoyoshi, Taragi, Yunomae, Yamae, Asagiri |
| Nagasaki | Unzen, Isahaya | |
| Kagoshima | Akune, Izumi, Ichikikushikino, Isa, Yusui | |
| Saga | Kanzaki, Shiroishi | |
| Fukuoka | Yanagawa, Okawa | |
| Miyazaki | Nobeoka, Saito, Shiiba | |
Impact
An unspecified number of people were killed by the earthquake.[11] At least 50 people were injured in Hikawa while 50 others were hospitalized in Kumamoto City.[12]
Police in Kumamoto Prefecture said at least 12 homes collapsed.[13] In Uki, parts of the ceiling at Aeon Mall Uki collapsed.[14] The second floor of Aeon Mall Kumamoto in Kashima collapsed and there were reports that "many" people were killed.[11][15] There were also several reports of an explosion at the mall.[16][17] Police said between 20 and 30 employees and an unknown number of customers were reported missing at the mall.[18] Five people were declared missing after two houses collapsed in Uki.[19] Fires were reported in Matsubase and Yatsushiro. Two residents and a staff at a nursing home in Hikawa were injured by a collapsed wall.[13] In Yatsushiro, the chimney of a factory owned by Nippon Paper Industries collapsed, leaving several people missing.[20]
Landslides were reported on the slopes of Mount Mayuyama facing Shimabara, Nagasaki.[21]
Around 48,300 households in Kumamoto Prefecture lost power.[22] About 30 branches of 7-Eleven lost electricity in the affected areas.[23]
Due to the impact of the earthquake, several sections of the Kyushu Expressway were closed to traffic.[24]
The runway at Kumamoto Airport was closed as of 16:40 JST.[25]
According to JR Kyushu, a freight train derailed near Yatsushiro Station.[26]
Kumamoto Castle, already extensively damaged by the 2016 Kumamoto earthquakes, was reported to have sustained further damage.[26] At the time of the earthquake, it was undergoing restoration work expected to be completed in 2052.[27]
Response
A tsunami advisory for waves of 1 m (3 ft 3 in) was issued for the coastlines of the Ariake and Yatsushiro seas by the JMA. However, there were no tsunami waves recorded before the advisory was cancelled shortly after.[22][28]
JR Kyushu suspended services on all of its rail lines, including both Shinkansen and local trains.[28][25] The Minamiaso Railway and Kumamoto Electric Railway also suspended service on their lines.[26]
Kyushu Electric Power reported no abnormalities at the Sendai and Genkai nuclear power plants in adjacent prefectures.[9][29]
International response
Taiwan: President Lai Ching-te sent a message of condolences and announced that preparations for assistance were under way.[26]