A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck the far southern end of Japan's main Kyushu island at 4:27 p.m. local time on Tuesday, collapsing buildings, sparking fires, and leaving multiple people trapped inside a damaged shopping mall. At least 50 people were taken to hospitals, according to public broadcaster NHK.
A local police source told CBS News' Japanese partner network TBS there were "a lot of deaths" in the damaged mall in the city of Kashima, but that it would "take time to confirm the exact number." Police had also received earlier reports of what sounded like an explosion at the Aeon Mall in Kashima. The fire department confirmed in a statement that in "Kashima town, a shopping complex's second floor collapsed, leaving many people trapped inside."
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said buildings had collapsed and fires had broken out across the region. "We are still assessing the extent of injuries and property damage, but I have been informed that there have already been several injuries," Takaichi said. "Power outages and fires are happening in some areas, and roads and bridges have been damaged and buildings collapsed."
The Japan Meteorological Agency recorded the quake at 7.1 magnitude, while the U.S. Geological Survey measured it at 6.8. On Japan's own Shindo scale of shaking intensity, the quake reached seven, the highest possible level. Video aired by NHK showed several blazes, damaged bridges, a derailed cargo train, and cracked roads. At least 12 collapsed houses were reported.
Multiple people were also believed to be unaccounted for at a Japan Paper Industries factory after the tip of a chimney fell. The national Kyodo news agency reported one person was killed when a house collapsed during the quake.
About 45,000 households and facilities lost power in the Kumamoto region, according to local utility Kyushu Electric Power. The company said three nuclear reactors operating in the region at the time of the quake were functioning normally. The Nuclear Regulation Authority also confirmed no immediate abnormalities were recorded at nuclear power plants.
The Japan Meteorological Agency initially issued an alert for a possible tsunami of up to three feet, but withdrew the warning after a couple of hours.
An NHK staffer reporting live from a newsroom described the shaking continuing roughly half an hour after the initial quake. "Shaking is continuing as I speak. Including myself, there may be some people who feel their hearts racing," the staffer said. "When the quake struck, the shaking was so big that I could not stand up. Please be aware of possibility tha" — the live report was cut short at that point.
Japan experiences hundreds of earthquakes every year, though the vast majority cause little damage. Rescue operations were ongoing Tuesday as emergency services worked to reach those still trapped in the collapsed mall.
