A powerful 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck Japan’s Kyushu Island on Monday, trapping numerous people inside a shopping mall in Kumamoto Prefecture and prompting a major emergency response, according to Japanese authorities.
Japan’s fire and rescue service said multiple people remain trapped inside the commercial complex after the quake. A witness reported that part of the mall’s second floor collapsed during the shaking.
Local media have reported that between 20 and 30 shopping mall employees may be missing, although authorities have not yet confirmed the figure.
Elsewhere in Kumamoto Prefecture, several people have also been reported missing after a chimney collapsed at a paper manufacturing plant.
The earthquake struck at 4:27 p.m. local time, causing widespread disruption across the region. Authorities reported power outages, damaged roads, and the collapse of a bridge following the powerful tremor.
Police and firefighters are continuing search and rescue operations at the Nippon Paper Industries Yatsushiro factory in the city of Yatsushiro, where emergency crews are investigating reports of missing workers.
Rescue efforts remain ongoing as authorities assess the full extent of the damage and search for those unaccounted for.
