6.8 Quake Hits Kumamoto; Mall Explosion Feared Deadly

A 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck Kumamoto prefecture on July 28, 2026, injuring at least 50 and prompting roughly 300,000 evacuations. An explosion at an Aeon mall in Kashima trapped many inside; police told TBS that "quite a few" were presumed dead, though the cause remains unclear. The epicenter lay 20 km south of Kumamoto city. Japan's Meteorological Agency warns of aftershock risk for a week.