TOKYO : The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said the earthquake, which struck at 4:27pm local time, measured 7.1 in magnitude and registered the maximum intensity of 7 on Japan’s Shindo seismic scale. The US Geological Survey (USGS) measured the quake at 6.8.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said emergency teams were assessing the full extent of the damage, adding that several people had been injured. Public broadcaster NHK reported that at least 50 people had been taken to hospital, while around a dozen homes had collapsed.

Television footage showed fires breaking out in several locations, cracked roads, damaged bridges and a derailed freight train. Reports also indicated that many people were trapped inside a damaged shopping mall as rescue operations got under way.

Power outages affected about 45,000 households and businesses in the Kumamoto region, according to Kyushu Electric Power. The utility said electricity supply had been disrupted in several areas but confirmed that the region’s three operating nuclear reactors were functioning normally.

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