Watch: Powerful 7.1-magnitude earthquake shakes Japan's Kyushu, triggers tsunami warning
A powerful 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck Japan's southern island of Kyushu, triggering tsunami warnings and emergency alerts. Videos shared online captured buildings swaying violently, stone walls collapsing at Kumamoto Castle and residents scrambling as strong tremors rattled the region.
July 28, 2026 / 16:29 IST
(Image: X)
A powerful 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck Japan's southern island of Kyushu on Tuesday, violently shaking buildings, damaging historic structures and triggering tsunami warnings, with dramatic videos capturing the moment the tremors hit.
The earthquake occurred at 12:57 pm IST, with the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) locating the epicentre about 4 kilometres south-southeast of Uki in Kumamoto Prefecture at a shallow depth of 10 kilometres. India's National Center for Seismology (NCS) recorded the quake at a depth of 70 kilometres.
The earthquake registered the highest intensity of 7 on Japan's Shindo seismic scale, the country's strongest shaking level, capable of causing severe structural damage.
Videos capture terrifying moments
Several videos circulating on social media showed homes, offices and public buildings shaking violently as the powerful tremors swept across southwestern Japan.
NOW: M7.1 Earthquake Near Uki, Japan #terremoto #地震 pic.twitter.com/nW2V9kGWkO
— Noteworthy News (@newsnoteworthy) July 28, 2026
One widely shared clip showed parts of the historic Kumamoto Castle's stone walls collapsing as the earthquake struck, sending debris crashing to the ground.
A few minutes ago: The stone walls of Kumamoto Castle collapsed following a magnitude 7.1 earthquake (地震 ) that struck 4 km southeast of Uki, Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan. pic.twitter.com/PwXwldRmIr — Weather Monitor (@WeatherMonitors) July 28, 2026
Another video captured a multi-storey building swaying violently, with furniture and other objects inside shaking as the tremors intensified.
Tsunami warning issued
The JMA issued tsunami warnings for parts of southern Japan, urging residents in coastal areas to move to higher ground and stay away from the shoreline and river mouths. Public broadcaster NHK reported that waves of up to one metre were expected along parts of Kyushu and nearby Shikoku.
Japan Earthquake Horrifying footage of the 7.1 magnitude quake is coming in right now !! #Japan #Earthquake #Tsunami #Breaking #BreakingNews #JapanEarthquake #NaturalDisaster #PrayForJapan #Alert #News pic.twitter.com/hl6nosr54C
— sustainme.in®️ (@sustainme_in) July 28, 2026
Authorities later lifted the tsunami advisories less than two hours after the quake after determining the immediate threat had passed, although advisories remained in place for Miyazaki Prefecture for some time.
Emergency earthquake warnings were also issued for Kumamoto, Nagasaki, Kagoshima, Fukuoka, Saga, Oita and Miyazaki prefectures, while more than 1.5 lakh residents were advised to evacuate as a precaution.
At least 50 injured; power, transport disrupted
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said the government had received reports of injuries, while assessments of casualties and property damage were continuing.
"We have already been informed that people have been injured," Takaichi told reporters, adding that protecting lives remained the government's top priority.
According to the government, the earthquake caused building collapses, fires, damage to roads and bridges, and widespread power outages.
At least 50 people were reported injured, while about 40,000 households lost electricity, according to Kyushu Electric Power. Telecom services were also disrupted in some areas due to power failures and damaged transmission lines.
Rail services, including Shinkansen bullet trains, were suspended for safety inspections, while Kumamoto Airport shut its runway, resulting in flight cancellations and diversions. The Japanese Defence Ministry also dispatched aircraft to assess the damage.
Earlier reports said there were no immediate fatalities or major destruction. Local media also reported that several people suffered minor injuries after falling during the shaking, while one house collapsed in Kagoshima Prefecture without causing injuries.
Authorities confirmed there were no abnormalities at nearby nuclear power plants.
Aftershocks feared
Officials have warned that strong aftershocks could continue over the next week, particularly during the next two to three days, and cautioned about an increased risk of landslides.
Japan is among the world's most earthquake-prone countries because it lies on the Pacific Ring of Fire, where several tectonic plates converge. The country experiences frequent seismic activity and accounts for nearly one-fifth of the world's earthquakes measuring magnitude 6.0 or higher.
Moneycontrol World Desk
first published: Jul 28, 2026 04:16 pm
