Rescue Operations Ongoing at Shopping Center After Earthquake in Japan

Rescue efforts continue at a shopping center where people remain trapped following an earthquake in Kumamoto, located on Japan’s Kyushu island. Rescuers are searching through the rubble of the Aeon Mall in Kashima city for survivors. The earthquake has caused widespread power outages and significant damage to roads across the area. Officials reported that a section of a castle wall has collapsed, and an elevated pedestrian bridge has been completely destroyed.

More than 150,000 people have been displaced. Authorities have confirmed that over 40,000 homes are without electricity. Officials also noted that the chimney of a paper factory within Kumamoto Prefecture has collapsed, leaving some individuals unaccounted for. The Japanese government agency confirmed the earthquake’s magnitude at 7.1 on Tuesday, although the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) measured it as a magnitude 6.8.