Kenneth Glad
A major rescue operation is under way after a strong earthquake struck Japan. Authorities are working to determine the full extent of the damage and its impact.
Emergency crews are searching a damaged shopping mall in southern Japan after police lost contact with up to 30 employees following a powerful earthquake that struck Kyushu earlier today.
Officials are still trying to establish exactly what happened at the Aeon mall in Kumamoto.
Reports of explosion-like sounds, smoke and structural damage have emerged, but authorities have not confirmed whether an explosion occurred or whether it was linked to the earthquake.
Search under way
The rescue operation is centered on the Aeon shopping mall, where police have been unable to contact 20 to 30 employees, according to Japanese broadcaster NHK. Firefighters have also reported that people are trapped inside the building.
Emergency services received multiple calls reporting explosion-like sounds and white smoke from the mall. Police were also notified that part of the building’s exterior had collapsed.
The mall operator said customers and staff began evacuating after the magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck. It remains unclear whether everyone had left before the reports of smoke and structural damage.
Japanese broadcasters TBS and Fuji TV report, according to TV 2’s live updates, that police fear several people may have died, but no official death toll has been confirmed.
Investigation continues
Authorities are investigating the sequence of events at the shopping mall as rescue crews continue searching the site into the night, local time.
Images from the scene show emergency workers combing through debris surrounding the damaged building, while officials have not said how many people may still be inside.
The search comes as emergency services across Kumamoto Prefecture respond to widespread damage caused by the earthquake, which struck at 4:27 p.m. local time.
Japanese media have reported that at least 50 people were taken to hospital following the quake, although the number may rise as assessments continue.
Wider impact
Kyushu Electric Power said about 48,000 households remain without electricity, according to the BBC. Roads, bridges and buildings have also been damaged across Kumamoto Prefecture.
Japan Meteorological Agency said it has recorded 61 aftershocks since the initial earthquake and warned that stronger tremors remain possible, particularly over the next two to three days.
The agency pointed to the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake sequence, when a magnitude 6.5 earthquake was followed two days later by a magnitude 7.3 quake that caused far greater destruction.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said 3,600 members of the Japan Self-Defense Forces have been deployed to support rescue efforts after a request from Kumamoto’s governor.
Separately, several people are reported missing after a chimney collapsed at a paper factory elsewhere in Kumamoto Prefecture, where police and firefighters are carrying out another search operation.
Sources: BBC, NHK, TV 2, Japan Meteorological Agency
