Claim: Video allegedly shows footage from the recent 7.1 magnitude earthquake that struck Japan on 28 July 2026.
Conclusion: The claim is misleading. It does not show the 28 July 2026 earthquake that struck Japan’s southern Kumamoto Prefecture. The claim actually shows old footage from a 7.6 magnitude earthquake that hit Japan’s Noto Peninsula in 2024.
Rating: Misleading 
Several social media users have shared a video and claimed that it showcases scenes from a recent 7.1 magnitude earthquake that struck Japan. Verified X user ‘VictorKvert2008’ shared such a post with the caption : “More than 50 people injured after powerful earthquake strikes Japan.The region was first hit by a magnitude 7.1 earthquake, prompting a tsunami warning.” Attached to the post is a 21 second video that features an earthquake and people scattering around to take shelter. View the post below –
More than 50 people injured after powerful earthquake strikes Japan
The region was first hit by a magnitude 7.1 earthquake, prompting a tsunami warning. pic.twitter.com/L8ChYTrVus
— распад и неуважение (@VictorKvert2008) July 28, 2026
Other users have shared similar claims that can be seen here
FACT CHECK
DigitEYE India decided to investigate this claim and found it to be misleading. The video shown in the claim is not from the 7.1 magnitude earthquake that struck Japan’s southern Kumamoto Prefecture on 28 July 2026. Instead, it shows footage from the 7.6 magnitude Noto Peninsula earthquake that occurred in January 2024.
Details:
According to a report published by Reuters on 28 July 2026, a powerful 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck Japan’s southern Kumamoto Prefecture. The report notes that Japan, situated along the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, accounts for about 20% of the world’s earthquakes of magnitude 6 or greater and experiences up to 2,000 felt earthquakes each year.
Another report by Al Jazeera, published on 30 July 2026, documented the aftermath of the recent 7.1 magnitude earthquake in Japan. The report includes verified visuals from the disaster and notes that “one of southern Japan’s largest shopping centres described being thrown to the ground and enveloped in a disorienting cloud of dust by the explosion.” The visuals featured in the report do not match those in the viral claim, further proving that the claim is unrelated to the 2026 earthquake. View a section from the report below –
Having confirmed the actual event, we conducted a reverse image search on multiple keyframes from the viral video. The search led us to a Daily Mail report published on 1 January 2024, covering the 7.6 magnitude earthquake that struck central Japan. The report contains the same footage featured in the viral post, confirming that the video predates the 28 July 2026 earthquake and is being falsely presented as recent. View a screenshot of the footage below –
The reverse image search also led us to an X post published by Sky News on 1 January 2024, which features the same footage seen in the viral claim. The post is captioned: “Over 80 earthquakes hit Japan, including one captured on video at a temple in Kanazawa,” and includes a link to a report providing further details about the disaster. This further confirms that the viral footage originated from the 2024 Japan earthquake and is not related to the 28 July 2026 earthquake.
Over 80 earthquakes hit Japan, including one captured on video at a temple in Kanazawa.
Latest: https://t.co/tTw37KlE6X pic.twitter.com/oL552d1GTg
— Sky News (@SkyNews) January 1, 2024
Lastly, we conducted a web search to locate recent authentic footage from the 7.1 magnitude earthquake that struck Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan on 28 July 2026. Our search led us to a WION YouTube video featuring the aftermath of the quake. According to the video’s description, the earthquake killed at least 13 people and forced nearly 300,000 residents to evacuate.
The the video in the claim actually shows old footage from a 7.6 magnitude earthquake that hit Japan’s Noto Peninsula in 2024 and not the recent 28 July 2026 earthquake that struck Japan’s southern Kumamoto Prefecture.
Thus, the claim is misleading.
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