TOKYO/HANOI – Twelve people have been confirmed dead following a powerful earthquake that struck Kumamoto Prefecture, southwestern Japan, while six others remain in cardiac arrest, local media reported Wednesday, citing the latest official figures.

Speaking at a disaster response headquarters meeting held shortly after 4:00 pm local time, prefectural officials said that 62 people had also been injured, while at least four people remain unaccounted for, public broadcaster NHK reported.

Rescue and search operations are ongoing in the affected areas as authorities continue to assess the full extent of the damage and casualties. 

During a meeting of the government's emergency disaster response headquarters on Wednesday afternoon, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said about 450 evacuation centers had been opened and around 7,700 people were taking shelter, while hot weather is expected to continue and evacuations are likely to be prolonged.

The Self-Defense Forces had further expanded their deployment, with approximately 4,600 personnel now engaged in disaster response, while police strength had increased to about 2,000 officers, she added.

The earthquake struck Kumamoto Prefecture at 4:27 pm on Tuesday, wreaking havoc as authorities continued search and rescue operations amid reports of deaths, missing people, collapsed buildings, power outages and traffic disruptions. 

The quake registered the maximum 7 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale in the hardest-hit areas. According to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), this is the first time seismic intensity 7 has been recorded in Japan since the Noto Peninsula Earthquake in January 2024. It is also the first time Kumamoto Prefecture has recorded a seismic intensity of 7 since the 2016 Kumamoto Earthquake, during which intensity 7 was observed twice. 

Three dead after shopping mall explosion 

Meanwhile, Takaichi said three people have been confirmed dead and many others remained trapped after an explosion rocked AEON Mall Kumamoto shopping complex in Kashima Town, as intensive rescue operations continued. 

About 20 to 30 employees were unaccounted for after the building's second floor collapsed, NHK reported, citing the Fire and Disaster Management Agency.

A senior government official told NHK late Tuesday that authorities received reports that there had been a gas leak. After shutting off the main gas supply, police, firefighters and the Self-Defense Forces are carrying out rescue operations.

At least several people have been confirmed dead following the explosion, Asahi TV reported, citing police sources.

Five dead, 4 missing after paper plant's smokestack collapses

In Yatsushiro City, five people were confirmed dead, two were injured and four others remained missing  after a smokestack collapsed at a Nippon Paper factory, which sustained extensive damage on Tuesday, NHK said.

At the factory in Yatsushiro City, 11 people were trapped. Seven people have since been rescued, NHK reported.

Of the seven rescued, five were confirmed dead and two were injured. The whereabouts and safety of four others remain unknown, the report said.

Also in Yatsushiro City, where seismic intensity of upper 6 on Japan's scale was recorded, one person found inside a collapsed house was confirmed dead after being taken to hospital, Kyodo News reported, citing the Kumamoto Prefectural Police.

Meanwhile, power outages have affected about 48,000 households in the southwestern prefecture, while over 10,500 households were without water, according to Kyodo News.

No abnormalities were reported at the Sendai nuclear power plant in Kagoshima Prefecture or at the Genkai nuclear power plant in Saga Prefecture, said Kyushu Electric Power Co.

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Tsunami advisories were issued for the Ariake and Yatsushiro seas after the quake but were later lifted, according to the JMA.

According to JR Kyushu, train operations were suspended on all lines in its service area, including bullet train and local lines.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism said a bridge on the Minami-Kyushu Expressway was damaged and shifted, making it impassable.

One Vietnamese worker killed

Citing the Labor Management Board of the Vietnamese Embassy in Japan, Vietnam News Agency reported that one Vietnamese worker was killed and at least one other Vietnamese was injured in the prefecture of Kumamoto.

The deceased had arrived in Japan in January 2026 under the technical intern training program of the Kumamoto Hito Zukuri cooperative in Kumamoto Prefecture.

The victim was trapped beneath a factory crane that toppled during the earthquake and later died despite rescue efforts, while seven other Vietnamese technical interns working at the same factory evacuated safely.

In a separate incident, the wife of a Vietnamese worker living in Uki City, Kumamoto Prefecture, was injured after a wall of her house collapsed during the earthquake.

The embassy and the Labor Management Board are continuing to monitor the situation while maintaining close coordination with Japanese authorities, employers and supervising organizations to provide timely consular protection and assistance to Vietnamese citizens affected by the earthquake, the report said.