@wallstreetjournal: Rescue operations were under way at a shopping mall after a strong earthquake struck southern Japan on Tuesday. The 7.1-magnitude quake at 4:27 p.m. Tuesday hit Kumamoto prefecture, where a pair of earthquakes a decade ago killed more than 200 people. The prefecture is also home to a Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. plant. More than an hour after the quake, an apparent explosion rocked an Aeon shopping mall near the quake’s epicenter. The local fire department said a second-floor section collapsed, leaving multiple people trapped inside as emergency responders worked to free them. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said some people were injured in the quake without giving figures. She said she has sent government staff to the region to assess the damage. Photo: Kyodo/Reuters

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Tuesday 28 July 2026 14:15:35 GMT