Kumamoto Paralyzed by Level-7 Earthquake... Semiconductor Plants Also Impacted

Collapse of Shopping Mall and Paper Plant; Search for Survivors Continues
Hospital Power Outages Raise Heat Stroke Concerns for Inpatients
TSMC Evacuates All Staff; Honda and Toyota Suspend Factory Operations

The previous day (the 28th), a level 7 earthquake struck Kumamoto Prefecture in Japan, causing building collapses and fires that resulted in dozens of casualties. With transportation and medical infrastructure paralyzed and automobile and semiconductor manufacturing facilities halting operations one after another, the aftermath is expected to widen.

According to the Asahi Shimbun on the 29th, reports of fires, building collapses, and injured people in need of transport continue to pour in from Kumamoto Prefecture. As of 10 p.m. the previous day, Kumamoto authorities announced that two people were in cardiac arrest and 19 were missing. With many of the injured being transferred to hospitals throughout the region, the number of casualties is expected to increase further.

A fire broke out at a house in Yatsushiro City as a result of a powerful earthquake measuring 7.1 that occurred in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan, on the 28th, with smoke rising high. Yatsushiro, Japan - Photo by Kyodo News

Rescue operations are also ongoing at Aeon Mall Kumamoto, the shopping center that collapsed in an explosion following the earthquake the previous day. As of 4 a.m. today, eight more people have been rescued through search activities, but among them, two women in their twenties were found dead and one person was transported to the hospital in cardiac arrest.

With the high number of injured, medical institutions throughout the area are facing emergency situations. However, with power outages and water supply interruptions, providing normal medical services has become impossible. Kumamoto Minami Hospital in Uki City is using emergency generators to power life-sustaining equipment such as ventilators. At Sakurajuji Kumamoto Uki Hospital, the lack of air conditioning due to the blackout has raised concerns for hospitalized patients showing symptoms of heat stroke. As a result, some patients were urgently transferred to other hospitals. Citing a hospital official in Uki, NHK reported that the situation "resembles a field hospital."

Transportation such as high-speed trains and airplanes has also come to a standstill. JR Kyushu suspended operations on some sections of the Kyushu Shinkansen. Seven passengers were injured during sudden stops caused by the quake. At JR Yatsushiro Station, one locomotive and five freight cars derailed due to the earthquake, with five of these overturned. Expressways throughout the prefecture have completely banned both inbound and outbound traffic, while Kumamoto Airport has temporarily closed its runway.

On the 29th, rescuers are searching for survivors at the Aeon Mall Kumamoto, a shopping center located in Kashima Town, Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan. Part of the Aeon Mall Kumamoto building collapsed due to the aftermath of the magnitude 7.1 earthquake that occurred the previous day. Kashima, Japan = Photo by AFP Yonhap News Agency

Production facilities for automobiles and semiconductors have also taken a direct hit. At Nippon Paper Industries' Yatsushiro plant, a collapsed smokestack has trapped 11 employees inside, and rescue efforts are ongoing. Honda decided to suspend operations at its Kumamoto Plant, a key manufacturing base for motorcycles, through the morning of this day. When the earthquake occurred, the sprinklers activated, causing water leakage and flooding inside the plant. Toyota temporarily halted operations at a factory in Fukuoka Prefecture.

Kikuyo Town, where Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), the world’s largest foundry, is located, suffered relatively little damage. Here, the Japan Meteorological Agency’s seismic intensity scale measured "strong 5," which typically means most people have difficulty moving and unsecured furniture may topple. TSMC’s first plant in Kumamoto began operations in 2024, and the second plant aims to begin mass production of cutting-edge 3-nanometer (nm, 1 billionth of a meter) semiconductors from 2028. According to the Sankei Shimbun, TSMC evacuated all employees outside, conducted a safety inspection, and confirmed that there were no safety issues. Employees have been returning to the plant in phases.

The Japan Meteorological Agency warned of a high probability of further strong earthquakes in the coming days. At a press conference the previous day, the agency stated, "During the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake, level-7 quakes occurred in succession," and added, "In the coming week, earthquakes of similar magnitude could occur." Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi established an emergency disaster countermeasure headquarters under her direct leadership and ordered the Self-Defense Forces to be dispatched to the field.

Experts have analyzed that this strong earthquake occurred because the fault that caused the Kumamoto earthquake ten years ago has been reactivated. On this day, both the Asahi and Yomiuri Shimbun cited earthquake experts, who estimated that the latest earthquake was triggered by activity along the Hinagu Fault Zone, which had caused a magnitude 6.5 earthquake in 2016. During the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake, a magnitude 6.5 quake occurred on the Hinagu Fault, followed two days later by a magnitude 7.3 temblor that resulted in the deaths of more than 270 people.

Earlier this year, Japan’s Earthquake Research Committee also forecast that the land segment of the Hinagu Fault could generate a magnitude 7.5 earthquake, and that the Yatsushiro Sea segment could see a quake of around magnitude 7.3. The committee also stated that if the entire fault zone were to become fully active, it could trigger a powerful earthquake of magnitude 8.0.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.