Earthquake strikes southern Japan, causing damage
They publishedPowerful earthquake strikes southern Japan, causing destruction
28 Jul, 09:30ZLive Updates: 6.8-Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Japan
28 Jul, 11:45ZEarthquake strikes southern Japan, causing damage
First reportThe New York Times · 28 Jul, 09:30Z
Latest reportThe Washington Post · 28 Jul, 11:45Z
Span2 hours · 1.0h between reports on average
Base — every candidate starts here5
Public-interest topic (politics, world, science, health…)+1
Public-interest terms in the text (courts, tariffs, ceasefire…)+1.25
High-reliability source boost+0.75
Corroboration — more independent outlets, more weight+1.6
Significance9.6
Deterministic and identical for every story — no engagement signals, no personalization of the score.
Why it matters
What
A 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck Kyushu, injuring at least 50 people nationwide and damaging buildings and roads.
Why
Collapsed buildings and damaged roads are complicating emergency response as authorities assess infrastructure and coordinate rescues.
Watch
Officials warn of potential aftershocks and urge residents to remain cautious while rescue and infrastructure assessments continue.
Coverage over time
How the narratives interweavecumulative reports per outlet
The New York Times has filed the most reports; The New York Times moved first. Each line is one outlet's running total — where lines rise together, the story is being told in parallel.
Where the coverage comes from
Perspective mix: 3 center-left.
Coverage blindspot. no right-leaning outlet is covering this cluster; 2 of 3 outlets are United States-based — worth knowing before deciding what to make of this story.
Lean and credibility are curated v1 mappings from public ratings (AllSides / MBFC); unknown outlets stay unrated, never guessed. How outlets are rated →
How it unfolded — every article
Summary
- A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck Kumamoto prefecture and surrounding areas on Kyushu.
- About 40,000 homes lost power and JR Kyushu suspended rail services, including bullet trains.
- A tsunami warning was issued for waves up to 1 metre by authorities.
- PM Sanae Takaichi urged vigilance for aftershocks and quick damage assessment.
- No irregularities reported at nuclear power stations; past Kumamoto quakes caused significant casualties.