Regarding the Reiwa 8 Kumamoto Earthquake
Overview
The Reiwa 8 Kumamoto Earthquake, a powerful earthquake originating in the Kumamoto region of Kumamoto Prefecture, caused casualties, collapsed houses, fires, power outages, water outages, and road damage, mainly in Kumamoto Prefecture. The Japanese government held emergency disaster countermeasures headquarters meetings and is advancing the dispatch of investigation teams, life-saving and water-supply support by the Self-Defense Forces, and push-style assistance including food, water, coolers, and power-supply vehicles. Evacuees are urged to move to safe locations and remain alert to heatstroke, building collapses, and landslides, while the public is being asked to remain vigilant for approximately one week against earthquakes around seismic intensity 7 and to check official information.
Key points
- A combination of damage to people, essential infrastructure, and transportation networks has occurred, mainly in Kumamoto Prefecture.
- The Japanese government is advancing emergency measures in coordination with local governments, prioritizing life-saving and rescue operations.
- Continued evacuation, measures against the heat, and avoidance of the risks of collapses and landslides are necessary.
- People are urged to check official evacuation information in preparation for further tremors and the spread of uncertain information.
Overview
The Reiwa 8 Kumamoto Earthquake occurred yesterday, the 28th, at around 16:27, with its epicenter in the Kumamoto region of Kumamoto Prefecture. A maximum seismic intensity of 7 was observed in Uki City and Hikawa Town, and strong shaking was felt across a wide area of Kyushu.
The damage extends beyond casualties and buildings to fires; electricity, water, gas, and communications; roads; railways; expressways; and aviation, affecting evacuation life as well as local mobility and economic activity.
Many residents are sheltering in evacuation shelters across five prefectures, including Kumamoto and Fukuoka prefectures, making it an important challenge to ensure safety and maintain evacuation conditions in the disaster-affected areas.
Impact
The occurrence of casualties and the large number of evacuees have made life-saving and rescue operations to protect victims’ lives, along with support for evacuation living, urgent priorities. In addition to power and water outages, continued hot weather makes it necessary to secure evacuation conditions, including measures against heatstroke.
Suspensions of roads, railways, and aviation constrain residents’ movement, the transport of supplies, and local socioeconomic activity. Communication disruptions and the spread of false information may also interfere with disaster response and residents’ decision-making.
In areas affected by strong shaking, vigilance against building collapses and landslides is necessary. Accurate information sharing through local governments and media organizations provides a foundation for evacuation decisions and confirmation of disaster-prevention precautions.
Details
As of 08:30, human casualties included 13 deaths, 7 seriously injured people, and 29 slightly injured people, among others. As of 07:00, there were 9,186 evacuees in 506 evacuation shelters across five prefectures.
Regarding lifelines, as of 07:00 there were approximately 36,900 power-outage households in Kumamoto Prefecture, approximately 84,000 water-outage households in Kumamoto Prefecture and elsewhere, and approximately 9,500 households affected by suspended gas supply in Kumamoto City and Yatsushiro City. Communication disruptions also occurred in parts of Kumamoto Prefecture. Eight fires occurred in Kumamoto City and elsewhere, but all had been extinguished.
Regarding transportation, expressway traffic was closed on 2 routes and 13 sections. The Kyushu Shinkansen suspended all operations between Hakata Station and Kagoshima-Chuo Station, while conventional railway services were suspended on 6 lines operated by 4 companies. Fourteen flights to and from Kumamoto Airport are scheduled to be canceled.
The Japanese government held the first emergency disaster countermeasures headquarters meeting, headed by the Prime Minister, and has scheduled the second meeting for 13:30 today. Following the Cabinet Office investigation team, it dispatched Deputy Minister Tsushima, who is responsible for disaster management, to the affected area as a government investigation team.
At the request of the Kumamoto Prefectural Governor, the Self-Defense Forces are conducting life-saving and water-supply support with approximately 4,600 personnel. Police, fire departments, the Self-Defense Forces, and the Japan Coast Guard are leading emergency measures that prioritize assessing damage and life-saving and rescue operations.
The Japanese government is delivering food, water, coolers for heatstroke prevention, and power-supply vehicles, also using push-style assistance, to help secure favorable evacuation conditions. Evacuees are being urged to move to safe locations, avoid entering dangerous areas, and take measures against heatstroke. The public is being asked to remain alert for approximately one week against earthquakes around seismic intensity 7 and to check evacuation information from local governments through radio, television, the internet, and other sources.
Because false information on the internet may affect socioeconomic activity and disaster response, people are urged to refrain from spreading it, avoid being misled by uncertain information, and verify information through the Japanese government, local governments, and media organizations.