Japan earthquake kills at least 13 as rescuers search for survivors

Death toll rises to 13 after powerful earthquake hits southwestern Japan. (Photo/Reuters)

A major earthquake that severely damaged a shopping mall and a factory in Japan has killed at least 13 people, officials said, as rescuers desperately try to reach survivors feared trapped in the wreckage.

The 7.1-magnitude quake struck the southwestern region of Kumamoto prefecture on Kyushu island on Tuesday afternoon, causing widespread damage, sparking fires and leaving tens of thousands of homes without power.

"Thirteen people have died," Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said a day after the tremor registered at the highest level on Japan's shindo scale of seismic shaking.

"Extensive damage has been confirmed, including casualties, collapsed buildings, fires and damage to roads," Takaichi told reporters, adding that officials were confirming whether all fatalities were caused directly by the tremor.

The dead on Kyushu island included two women in the mall and three others elsewhere, the Fire and Disaster Management Agency said.

Seven people were severely injured.

Industrial damage

The shopping mall in Kashima was gutted by an apparent gas explosion, collapsing ceilings and walls.

Eight people were rescued from the facility, five of whom sustained injuries.

Initial reports indicated as many as 20 to 30 people were trapped, though police later confirmed the actual number was lower, noting that rescue crews have been unable to find a safe access route into the building.

At the Nippon Paper Industries factory in Yatsushiro, where damage included a partially collapsed smokestack, nine people remain unaccounted for.

Across Kumamoto prefecture, 36,880 households and facilities had no power on Wednesday morning.

The tremor struck at 4:27 pm on Tuesday at a depth of 10 kilometres, according to the US Geological Survey.

The quake collapsed buildings, damaged bridges, and capsized a freight train, while parts of a wall at the centuries-old Kumamoto Castle also collapsed.

The Japanese military has mobilised 3,600 personnel for disaster relief operations and sent 20 aircraft to assess damage from the air.

Source: TRT