As emergency services search for survivors under rubble, Hong Kong tourists organize transport for their compatriots. Prime Minister Takaichi warns of a race against time.
On Tuesday evening, July 28, 2026, a powerful earthquake struck southwestern Japan, killing at least 13 people and leaving dozens trapped under rubble. According to the Croatian portal Stijena.info, the magnitude was 6.8, while the South China Morning Post (SCMP) reports 7.1. The earthquake shook Kumamoto Prefecture on the southern island of Kyushu, and a tsunami warning issued was quickly lifted.
Among the victims are three people connected to the Aeon shopping center in Kumamoto city, where dozens are believed to still be trapped. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi emphasized that emergency services are in a race against time to find survivors.
Hiroko Ogata, 75-year-old co-owner of the Sendan Shokudo restaurant in Yatsushiro city, told BBC News about the dramatic moments when the earthquake caught her. As reported by Stijena.info, Ogata said: "I was surprised and terrified. I immediately crawled under the table, but it was moving violently right, left, then right and left again. I thought I was going to die." Although she has lived her entire life in a seismically active area, she had never experienced such a powerful tremor.
Kumamoto was already the site of two devastating earthquakes in 2016 that killed 277 people and injured about 2,800, Stijena.info notes. Ogata claims that the latest tremor was significantly stronger than the one that hit the region ten years ago.
As the search for survivors continues, Hong Kong tourists have organized help for their compatriots who are stranded in the affected area. According to SCMP, a travel operator confirmed on Wednesday, July 29, that a Hong Kong tourist group is safe and continuing to their next destination. Threads users shared their experiences, and a traveler named Taffy (username tyt_1219_) recounted that she had arrived in Fukuoka four days earlier and was on a day trip to Kumamoto when the earthquake struck. Some Hong Kongers offered transportation to other travelers.
Reports on the magnitude differ: the Croatian portal Stijena.info reports 6.8, while SCMP mentions 7.1. The difference likely stems from the use of different scales or subsequent data adjustments. Official Japanese agencies have not yet released a final assessment.
