Dozens of people were trapped in a shopping mall in Japan on Tuesday after a 7.1-magnitude quake hit Kumamoto prefecture, many of whom were employees.
Many individuals at a nearby factory also remain unaccounted for, after the chimney collapsed.
Another person was killed when their house came down during the quake.
Video footage shared by NHK showed multiple fires, damaged buildings, as well as derailed trains, in the area.
Chiharu Hara, a 35-year-old who was working in Kumamoto at the time, said she was terrified when the quake struck.
She recalls the office swaying side by side and said everyone was scared that it would all come down.
The 7.1-magnitude quake, which struck at approximately 4:27pm local time, reached seven on Japan’s Shindo scale, which measures the seismic intensity of earthquakes.
The US Geological Survey put the magnitude at 6.8.
A series of aftershocks followed, including one with a magnitude of 6.1.
While Japan experiences hundreds of earthquakes every year, the majority of them cause little damage.
Damage From the Quake
Several roads remained closed due to the earthquake; shinkansen train services were also suspended.
Kumamoto airport also halted operations for several hours before re-opening in the evening.
Two local hospitals took in at least 50 injured individuals each, many of whom were rescued from under large debris.
The hospital themselves also suffered damage – including electrical system issues and water leaks.
Officials confirmed that 10 people were also injured at a nearby nursing home for the elderly.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi confirmed on X that there have been several fatalities, building collapses, road damage, fires, and water and power outages.
To help with rescue efforts, Japan’s military deployed 3,600 service members directly to the impacted zone; 20 aircraft were also sent to assess the damage from the air, according to the defense minister.
A tsunami alert was initially issued following the main quake, but was withdrawn at around 6:10 pm.
Parts of a wall at the Kumamoto Castle in Chuo-ku, Kumamoto, also collapsed; the scene could be seen in a video clip which has since been shared online.
The Nuclear Regulation Authority confirmed that there were no abnormalities at the local plants.
According to Kyushu Electric Power, about 45,000 households and facilities had no power in the region.
However, the firm said the three nuclear reactors operating in the region are functioning normally.
