Over a dozen killed after 7.1-magnitude quake strikes southwestern Japan
At least 13 people have been killed and dozens more injured after a powerful earthquake struck Japan's southwestern Kumamoto prefecture.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi announced the fatalities as a result of the magnitude 7.1 earthquake that hit Japan on Tuesday.
The powerful tremor also caused extensive destruction, including house fires, bridge collapses, building failures and the collapse of steel towers across the affected area.
The earthquake registered the maximum level of 7 on Japan's seismic intensity scale, the highest level recorded since the 2024 Noto Peninsula earthquake on New Year's Day.
The US Geological Survey (USGS) initially measured the earthquake at magnitude 7.1 before revising the estimate to 6.8, saying the powerful tremor struck at a shallow depth.
A magnitude 5.6 aftershock followed at 5:08 p.m., with its epicenter about 16 kilometers northeast of Tsunagi, according to the USGS.
Kumamoto prefectural officials said 31 people were injured, while power outages affected around 48,000 households across the prefecture.
Rescue operations continued into Wednesday as emergency teams searched damaged buildings and worked to locate those still missing.
Japan's Self-Defense Forces joined rescue workers, helping search affected areas, deliver drinking water and transport injured people, while the government prepared emergency shipments of food and other essential supplies to communities hit by the disaster.
Authorities said part of the Aeon Mall in Kashima Town collapsed, trapping people beneath the debris, while officials also investigated a reported gas explosion at the site.
A chimney collapsed at Nippon Paper Industries' Yatsushiro factory, leaving several people trapped. Officials said rescue operations were continuing after survivors and victims were recovered from the scene.
The Nuclear Regulation Authority said no abnormalities had been detected at three nearby nuclear power plants.
Authorities also closed the runway at Aso Kumamoto Airport, while train services were disrupted after a train derailed at Yatsushiro Station.
Officials urged residents to remain alert over the coming days, warning that strong aftershocks could still occur across the affected region.
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