A powerful earthquake struck the island of Kyushu in southern Japan on Tuesday, killing at least 13 people and injuring hundreds. The quake registered 6.8 magnitude on the seismic scale and 7 on Japan’s shindo intensity scale. The earthquake knocked out power and water supplies to tens of thousands of residents across the region.
Emergency rescue operations are ongoing as teams search for survivors trapped beneath collapsed buildings and rubble. Military personnel have been mobilized, with thousands deployed to assist in the search efforts. Rescue workers described the operation as a “race against time” as they continue to pull people from damaged structures, with reports of volunteers hearing voices and seeing hands reaching from collapsed homes.
Survivors have described the moment of the earthquake as terrifying, with many recounting their fear and shock in the aftermath. The disaster echoes a significant earthquake that struck the region approximately 10 years earlier. Rescue teams continue their efforts to locate missing persons and assess the full extent of the damage across the affected areas.
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