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At least 13 people have been confirmed dead after a 6.8-magnitude earthquake hit Japan’s southern Kumamoto prefecture, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said Wednesday, according to Japan’s public broadcaster NHK.
The quake Tuesday left many people trapped after a shopping mall partially collapsed. Several are also unaccounted for at a paper factory, and a highway bridge has buckled.
Thousands of military personnel have been mobilized in an effort to “expedite” rescue and relief efforts, the country’s public broadcaster NHK reported. Track the impact in maps and charts here.
Search and rescue operations are continuing Wednesday morning after a 6.8-magnitude earthquake the day before left at least 13 dead and many more trapped or unaccounted for.
The quake struck Kumamoto prefecture on Japan’s southwestern island of Kyushu at 4:27 p.m. local time on Tuesday, with a depth of 10 kilometers (6.2 miles). It was followed by six aftershocks in the area, according to the US Geological Survey. No tsunami warning or threat was issued.
At least 13 people have been confirmed dead, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said Wednesday morning. That total includes deaths where the connection to the earthquake and the various aftershocks are still being investigated.
The total number of people missing and injured is not yet clear. “People are still waiting for help, and every second counts,” Takaichi said.
The Aeon Mall in Kumamoto partially collapsed, killing a number of people, according to CNN affiliate TV Asahi – though it did not confirm the number of deaths or who the victims were.
Public broadcaster NHK previously said 20 to 30 employees at the mall could not be contacted after the collapse. Separately, nine people are still missing at the Nippon paper factory in Yatsushiro City after it sustained significant damage from the quake, NHK reported. A highway bridge has also buckled.
Rail services have been greatly disrupted, and all flights at the Kumamoto airport were canceled on Tuesday. More than 46,000 households in the area lost power.
At least 178 facilities across Kumamoto city have been closed as of Wednesday morning, including libraries, community centers, public parks and sports facilities – with some being turned into temporary evacuation shelters.