[tkgally]

In parts of Kumamoto Prefecture, it registered 7 on the Japanese shindo (seismic intensity) scale, which reflects the amount of ground shaking at a particular location. The shindo is a better indicator of the likely amount of damage than the magnitude is. A shindo of 7 is extremely strong [1].

Ten minutes ago (at around 17:15 p.m. Japan time), NHK was reporting that there were many emergency calls coming in from Uki City, where shindo 7 was recorded, but that the extent of the damage or injuries was not yet known.

There have also been many aftershocks, including some strong ones, and tsunami warnings.

[1] https://www.jma.go.jp/jma/en/Activities/jishintsunami/jishin...

[akg_67]

NHK TV is showing extensive damage including fallen smokestacks at Nippon Paper Factory facility, bridge road separation, fallen bridge lane, road cracks, fire, water coming out of drainage etc. It was a huge earthquake and will take some time to assess the damage.

[Gravityloss]

I at least can see English translated version of NHK here https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/live_tv/

[ktallett]

There is a collapsed roof of a shopping centre as well in Kumamoto. The Aeon Mall.

[kalleboo]

The mall had a (most likely gas) explosion, and there are many dead being found inside https://newsdig.tbs.co.jp/articles/-/2833412?display=1

[traceroute66]

> The mall had a (most likely gas) explosion

If the internet searches are to be believed, that is indeed sadly likely to be the cause.

The internet suggests the explosion happened on the second floor of the mall where a large food court is located.

[bombcar]

A hundred years from now people are going to be absolutely flabbergasted how we just piped gas everywhere all the time.

Electricity allows for so many more automatic safeguards.

[traceroute66]

> Electricity allows for so many more automatic safeguards.

Since the mid-2000s there has actually been a push by Japanese utility companies for adoption of what they call "all-electric" オール電化.

Adoption has been reasonably good with new-builds because they can also have solar panels. But adoption in older properties has been slower.

First in general, electricity in Japan has tended to be more expensive than gas.

Second, a large Part of the slow adoption comes from cooking related inertia.

A lot of traditional (and therefore very common) Japanese cookware just will not work on electric, full stop. For example, traditional donabe (clay pots).

Beyond that, for example, aluminium pans being non-ferromagnetic will not work on induction. Yes you find aluminium pans in the West with extra ferromagnetic bases attached, but that is not common in Japan.

Finally, the Japan Society of Cookery Science did commission a study[1] where they had two groups of people cook four dishes on both gas and induction. The conclusion was gas was preferred across all four.

[1]https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/cookeryscience/47/6/47_...

[Danox]

It’s just the price of living on the Pacific ring of fire. What are you going do give up modern living in a modern country and live in tents, it is the price to pay living on or near tectonic plates, as a resident who has lived several 6.0-7.0 magnitude quakes (California) they are much easier to live through than living in hurricane or tornado alley or living in places where there is a deep freeze every other year, although in Japan, you can get the trifecta, a earthquake, Cyclone (in the south) and a deep freeze in the north Hokkaido.

Japan is a beautiful modern country and they have gotten through worse and they will get through this too.

I will admit in recent times the area between the Philippines north to the Kamchatka Peninsula is one most active areas on the planet at some point a 9.0 earthquake will happen in a major populated area on land but something that large usually happens once every 15 to 326 years.

The largest earthquake in California was 7.9, second largest 7.8 in San Francisco, the largest earthquake on west coast of North America 9.0 was Vancouver island in 1700.

https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/official17...

Coincidentally the Japanese recorded a mild tsunami at the time on their side of the Pacific.

Hurricanes and tornadoes are more immediate threats along with a heat wave or a cold snap.

[kalleboo]

Yeah it's crazy to me, especially in earthquake-prone places like Japan or California.

I bought a house here in Japan last year and replaced the gas with all-electric due to concerns of not only leaks and disasters but also just in day-to-day use gas isn't good for indoor air quality.

[qurren]

And compressed flammable gas canisters, which are sadly common all over Asia. If they leak due to structural compromise, e.g. being squashed by falling concrete, there isn't really a shutoff valve you can use.

[sandworm101]

Replicating the power density of a gas pipe requires far more than 110v ac. The future might wonder why we accepted the danger of 5,000v power lines running through food courts just to avoid using gas burners.

[doublerabbit]

Ehh, without gas we wouldn't have electricity.

Gas was the most efficient way to produce electricity for its time. I agree money should of been piped in to infrastructure upgrades when the ability came yet still.

[lstodd]

Electrical is inadequate power delivery-wise and requires completely different cookware to the point that it's a different cuisine.

For example to replicate a gas burner you have to have above 15KW continious power. Good luck wiring that into your apartment, or feeding this with local solar. Or even finding an induction stovetop that won't melt its insides in a year or two at a measly 5KW.

[kalleboo]

This article has confirmation that there was a report of a gas leak, and if you scroll down there is a dashcam video of the explosion https://news.web.nhk/newsweb/na/na-k10015188721000

[m4rtink]

For the record, Aeon Mall is basically a brand - there are many Aeon malls in Japan in various cities.

[ktallett]

Yes but there is just one in Kumamoto.

[timr]

The second floor of the mall exploded for some reason, and the roof collapse is secondary to that. It seems to have happened after the earthquake and subsequent evacuation. There are videos of people leaving the mall:

https://x.com/yuto4388/status/2082060992377475247/video/1?s=...

[ktallett]

It is due to a gas leak that caused an explosion.

[timr]

It definitely wasn't known at the time I wrote my comment, and as far as I know right now, they haven't announced the cause.

Few things would create an explosion of this size, so it's a logical inference, but you never know.

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20260728_30/

Local (i.e. Japanese language) news is speculating an LP leak.

[vondur]

That mall was also damaged in a similar earthquake that happened in 2016.

[kalleboo]

And ironically in their press release for the re-open they said they re-built it with more disaster-proofing with the knowledge from the previous disaster...

[bobthepanda]

The emerging thing is that the earthquake caused a gas leak which later caused an explosion. Pipes will just go out of alignment during an earthquake, there isn’t a ton you can do to prevent that wholly.

My question is why upon calling in a gas leak, the mall was not immediately evacuated and cordoned off.

[kalleboo]

I've always wondered why automatic earthquake shutoff valves weren't a requirement. Apparently they're required in some areas of the US by surprisingly recent code (2013 in Los Angeles is what I'm seeing?) but I've never heard of it in Japan. Maybe this incident will be a regulatory turning point.

[sph]

English link on the shindo scale: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japan_Meteorological_Agency_se...

[zeeZ]

A 7 on the scale from 0 to 7.