Victims Presumed Dead, Others Trapped in Shopping Mall After Major Earthquake Hits Japan A devastating earthquake struck southern Japan on Tuesday, leaving a trail of destruction and chaos in its wake. The magnitude 7.
1 quake hit around 4:27 p. m. local time, with its epicenter just outside the city of Kumamoto. Japan's vulnerability to earthquakes is well documented.
Located along the Pacific Ring of Fire, the country experiences tremors almost daily. According to official data, an earthquake occurs in Japan at least every five minutes.