A magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck south of Kumamoto on Japan’s Kyushu Island on Tuesday, July 28. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) reported that the quake occurred at a shallow depth, significantly increasing the potential for intense ground shaking near the epicenter.

According to the USGS, the quake was triggered by movement along a shallow crustal fault within the Eurasian Plate, rather than along the nearby subduction zone where the Philippine Sea Plate slides beneath Japan. Earthquakes originating at shallow depths often deliver much stronger surface shaking compared to deeper events.

The epicenter lies in the same region struck by a devastating series of earthquakes in April 2016. That sequence featured a magnitude 7.0 mainshock that claimed at least 40 lives, injured over 2,000 people, damaged roughly 12,000 homes, and triggered a major landslide that destroyed the Aso Ohashi Bridge.

Local officials are evaluating the damage from Tuesday’s tremor. Seismologists warn that aftershocks are expected to continue over the coming days.