Residents in Japan's Kumamoto prefecture woke on Wednesday to collapsed buildings and debris after a powerful earthquake struck the country's south-western Kyushu region on Tuesday. More than 100 aftershocks followed the magnitude 6.8 quake, which left at least 13 people dead, while many others were reported to be in "cardiopulmonary arrest".
Amid searing heat, rescue crews are digging through the rubble at a paper factory and a shopping mall in Kumamoto prefecture in search of trapped survivors. The mall suffered an explosion in the hour after the quake struck, and thousands of people are in evacuation centres while many homes remain without power.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi warned it was "truly a race against time" to rescue those trapped. The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) is also urging residents to stay alert for more strong earthquakes, public broadcaster NHK reported.
"For the next week or so, especially the next two to three days, we would like people to watch out for potential earthquakes with a maximum seismic intensity of 7,"a JMA official said.
The quake's shallow epicentre, at a depth of 10 km (six miles), was about 20km south of Kumamoto city.
What is happening at Aeon Mall?
Rescuers are continuing to search the rubble of Aeon Mall in Kashima town, where a portion of the second floor collapsed. Three people who worked in Aeon Mall stores remain unaccounted for, company President Akio Yoshida said.
Footage of the shopping centre showed white smoke rising from the building as people ran into the car park. Large parts of the mall's exterior were blown off, exposing the steel beams underneath.
Aeon Mall president Akio Yoshida confirmed three people were killed in the mall explosion, while another three, all who worked in the mall, were still missing. Some 2,700 people were employed at the mall, officials said.
Yoshida said four people were taken to hospital from the mall, adding that one person had been rescued from a restroom and another person was in cardiopulmonary arrest.
"We sincerely apologise for this incident,"Yoshida said at a press conference on Wednesday.
How are other sites being affected?
Other areas affected include a factory in Yatsushiro City where two people were found to have no signs of life and nine others were unaccounted for, NHK reported.
"Although more than 20 hours have passed since the earthquake, there are those still in need of help,"Takaichi said on Wednesday.
More than 4,600 personnel were deployed to help with rescue efforts, Takaichi added.
Officials advised rescuers and quake survivors to take precautions against heatstroke during the clean-up work as temperatures reached about 35C (95F).
Defence Minister Shinjirō Koizumi said in a post on X that about 300 air conditioning units would be flown to Kumamoto and distributed in the worst-hit areas.
The JMA measured the earthquake magnitude at 7.1 and the US Geological Survey later placed it at 6.8. Quake magnitude figures are often updated as seismologists obtain and analyse new data.
What damage has been reported across Kumamoto?
Footage aired by NHK showed cracked roads and bridges and several buildings on fire. Train services were suspended and electricity cut off for thousands of homes.
Residents in Kumamoto prefecture awoke on Wednesday to the aftermath of the quake, with images showing debris on the streets and collapsed buildings, including the worship hall of the 19th Century Yatshushiro Shrine.
Clean-up efforts have begun as people remove debris from a collapsed gate at a temple in Yatsushiro.
One resident, Hiroko Ogata, 75, told the BBC she was at the restaurant she runs in Yatsushiro City when the earthquake hit.
"All of a sudden there was a big jolt, and I was surprised and scared... I have lived here for 75 years, but I have never experienced such a big quake. I thought I would die."
American tourist Chantel Mohar was also in Kumamoto with her family when the earthquake struck. While travelling in the tourist bus, everyone's phones went off with earthquake alerts.
"There was just a lot of rocking and confusion,"she told the BBC's Newsday programme.
Key Facts
- More than 100 aftershocks followed the earthquake in south-western Kyushu.
- At least 13 people were reported dead, with many others in "cardiopulmonary arrest".
- The JMA measured the quake at magnitude 7.1, while the USGS later placed it at 6.8.
- More than 4,600 personnel were deployed for rescue efforts.
- About 300 air conditioning units were to be flown to Kumamoto to help in the worst-hit areas.
