Powerful 7.0-Magnitude Earthquake Jolts Japan's Kumamoto Region, Prompting Tsunami Advisory

A powerful earthquake struck Japan's Kumamoto region on Tuesday, prompting authorities to issue a tsunami advisory for parts of Kumamoto Prefecture after the quake reached the highest seismic intensity of 7 on Japan's scale. Japan's Cabinet Office Disaster Management Division urged residents to remain calm and stay updated through official sources. In a statement shared on X, the agency confirmed that the earthquake registered a maximum seismic intensity of 7 in the Kumamoto region and advised people to rely on information from the government, local authorities, television, radio and trusted online platforms.

Following the tremor, officials issued a tsunami advisory for the Ariake Sea and Yatsushiro Sea, warning people in coastal areas to evacuate immediately and remain away from the shoreline until the alert is lifted. According to India's National Center for Seismology (NCS), the earthquake occurred at 12:57:22 IST on July 28, 2026, with its epicentre located at 32.643°N latitude and 130.985°E longitude, at a depth of 70 kilometres. The NCS measured the quake at magnitude 6.5.

Japanese media reported that the shaking reached Shindo 6 in several locations, including the cities of Yatsushiro and Uto, the towns of Mashiki and Misato, and Minami Ward in Kumamoto City. The earthquake also disrupted electricity supply, leaving around 45,600 households in Kumamoto Prefecture without power, according to Kyushu Electric.

The latest quake comes just over ten years after the devastating 2016 Kumamoto earthquakes, which claimed 278 lives, injured nearly 2,800 people, and caused widespread destruction across the prefecture. Among the most severely affected landmarks was the historic Kumamoto Castle, where restoration efforts are expected to continue until 2052.