Social Media Photos Show Aftermath of Strong Quake in Kumamoto, Japan · Global Voices
Nevin Thompson

Image caption: A “shindo 7″ earthquake (on the Japan Meteorological Agency seismic intensity scale). Image taken from ANN News official YouTube channel.
A “Shindo 7″ (magnitude 6.5) earthquake struck the western Japanese city of Kumamoto on Thursday, April 14. At least nine people were killed and 33,000 evacuated from their homes. Nearly 1,000 people have been reported as injured.
In terms of intensity, this was the largest earthquake experienced by Japan since the one that struck Japan's northeastern Tohoku region in March 2011, touching off a massive tsunami that left thousands dead.
Japan's “shindo scale” measures the degree of shaking, or intensity. In other parts of the world, earthquakes are measured according to released energy, or magnitude.
Aftershocks continued throughout the night. A camera crew, sent out to record damage to a castle wall in the center of the city of Kumamoto recorded an aftershock live on television. The video's title translates as “23,000 evacuated after Shindo 7 earthquake strikes Kumamoto.”
The earthquake was felt in much of western Japan and was centered on Mashiki, a suburban township to the east of Kumamoto City.
It ruptured gas lines, causing several fires (most Japanese homes rely on propane gas for cooking and heating water; propane is stored outside the home in pressured cylinders).
Following the earthquake and its aftershocks, social media was filled with images of the quake.
【熊本県益城町で震度7の大地震／火災発生し複数建物倒壊】https://t.co/Z37VvGy66T
震度7の揺れを観測し多くの建物が倒壊しているとの情報。23時現在で10軒以上の家屋が倒壊、一部の家屋では火災が発生。 pic.twitter.com/QVMoLL9sZP
— 日刊時事ニュース (@nikkan_jijinews) April 14, 2016
Mashiki Township, Kumamoto Prefecture: Numerous buildings have been destroyed as a resulted of a Shindo 7 earthquake and resulting fires.
The Shindo 7 quake resulted in quite visible shaking and destruction of buildings, it was reported. It was reported at 10 pm, April 14 that over 10 buildings have collapsed. Some of the structures have been consumed by fire.
Older homes appeared to be hard hit.
https://t.co/NnkdttI3om 熊本を震源とした地震、ヘリからの写真が入ってきました。写真特集を更新しております。https://t.co/2KEAKLw08z pic.twitter.com/VDvd1nN9y5
— 毎日新聞写真部 (@mainichiphoto) April 14, 2016
We have received images from our helicopter above the epicenter in Kumamoto. Special photo coverage here: http://mainichi.jp/photography/
The following day, the extent of the damage became apparent.
写真で追う熊本地震、被害広がるhttps://t.co/mczR9RBeEl pic.twitter.com/ExmMjQo9eI
— 産経ニュース (@Sankei_news) April 15, 2016
Photos of widespread devastation in Kumamoto.
The area's older traditional homes could not withstand the power of the earthquake.
益城町のこのお宅では70歳代の奥様が瓦礫の下敷きになったが、一時間半後に近所の人が救出。奥様は肋骨2本折って入院中だ。ご主人によると、地震の瞬間、ちゃぶ台の下に頭を突っ込んで助かったそうだ。 pic.twitter.com/HcEc0AiMnO
— 竹内明 Mei Takeuchi (@nygangsta0327) April 15, 2016
The seventy-year-old owner of this house in Mashiki was trapped under fallen roof tiles but was rescued by neighbours after about an hour. She had two broken bones and was sent to hospital. According to her husband, at the moment of the earthquake she dove under a small table and could protect her head, and will likely recover.
Due to continuing aftershocks and fears of more fires from ruptured gas lines, thousands of people took shelter in open spaces such as school playing fields.
熊本の地震、熊本市内の校庭では、住民の方々が、ビニールシートを敷いて避難しています。（直） pic.twitter.com/mxscWAEsz1
— 朝日新聞写真部 (@asahi_photo) April 14, 2016
Following the Kumamoto earthquake, residents have evacuated to local schools and are sheltering on plastic tarps.
熊本市内は余震が続いてます。不安な夜が続いてます。
いまは熊本大学グラウンドに
避難してます。
熊本大学の体育館も開放してるので、避難したい人は気をつけて来てください。
#熊本#地震#避難場所 pic.twitter.com/ht6ik6Whhr
— おかけん (@kt112077) April 14, 2016
We're spending an uneasy night as aftershocks continue in Kumamoto City.
Right now we have evacuated to the playing fields at Kumamoto University. The school gym is accepting evacuees so wherever you are please take care of yourself.
Some locals posted images of the damage to social media.
地震で立駐から車降ってきた… pic.twitter.com/oqBw6t9JFD
— だらく (@dara9_) April 14, 2016
Cars have toppled from the automated parking garage.
熊本で起きた震度7の地震の被害 pic.twitter.com/rHNRyc7I85
— エザゼル (@0_____14) April 14, 2016
Damage from the Kumamoto earthquake.
The Richter scale 5 #地震 #震度7 earthquake actually split the ground. #prayforJapan pic.twitter.com/1DrVdmQuTE
— Vlad C (@vladtweets) April 14, 2016
Kumamoto Castle, a ferroconcrete facsimile built in 1960, suffered extensive damage to stone walls line its moat.
難攻不落と呼ばれた城も地震には弱い…儂ショック過ぎて立ち直れない pic.twitter.com/C1Rgeoz1SG
— 加藤清正 (@higonotora) April 14, 2016
The “impregnable fortress” could not withstand an earthquake. The castle walls could not withstand the aftershocks.
In the light of day more damage to the castle was apparent.
瓦は地震で落ちるのが正解！　熊本城に生かされる日本古来の地震対策法とは？https://t.co/7Sxxn3anaJ#grape #熊本城 #瓦 pic.twitter.com/fGSP6kpKlu
— grape (@grapeejp) April 15, 2016
Castle roof tiles in disarray! Are there any plans to protect Japan's historic Kumamoto castle from future earthquakes!?!?!
Some people pointed out that the relatively large and intense Kumamoto earthquake occurred close to three nuclear power installations in Saga Prefecture (just to the north), Kagoshima (just to the south), and Ehime (about 300 kilometers to the east on the island of Shikoku).
九州でM8地震が近いというデータ続々https://t.co/gMyM3GGNI1 #脱原発 #川内 #玄海 #伊方 Kyusyu electric,Stop #Sendai NPs.High risk of huge #quake pic.twitter.com/pXXsydgLah
— microcarpa (@microcarpa1) April 14, 2016
Data from the near-magnitude 8 earthquake in Kyushu keeps coming in. Nearby nuclear power plants are at high risk from a huge quake.
And as often happens on social media in times of crisis, at least one hoax went viral before being debunked.
【 地震でライオン脱走とデマ 】
熊本で発生した地震を受けて「動物園からライオンが脱走した。熊本」とライオンの画像をTwitterに投稿したユーザー炎上https://t.co/J645wf6RcR
画像はヨハネスブルグの路上 pic.twitter.com/pHeWkHZYBs
— ニュース速報Japan (@breakingnews_jp) April 14, 2016
The “earthquake lion” is a hoax!
Following the earthquake there were some images of “an escaped lion from the Kumamoto zoo” that were shared a ton on Twitter.
The photos are apparently from Johannesburg (in South Africa).
This article has been updated.