7.1-magnitude quake hits Japan, triggering mall collapse, rescue operations

Japan was struck by a powerful 7.1-magnitude earthquake on Tuesday, prompting tsunami warnings for parts of the country's southwest and triggering an explosion at a shopping mall in Kumamoto Prefecture that left several people trapped and injured.

According to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), the earthquake struck at 4.27 pm local time at a depth of around 10 kilometres. The epicentre was located in Kumamoto Prefecture, with strong tremors reported across the region.

The JMA issued a tsunami warning forecasting waves of up to one metre for the Ariake Sea and the Yatsushiro Sea, urging residents in vulnerable coastal areas to remain alert and follow evacuation advisories where necessary.

Hours after the earthquake, an explosion rocked Aeon Mall Kumamoto in Kashima Town. Japan's Fire and Disaster Management Agency said part of the shopping centre's second floor had collapsed, leaving numerous people believed to be trapped beneath the debris.

Emergency services launched rescue operations as firefighters worked to assess the extent of the damage and locate those trapped inside the building.

Several injured people were taken to nearby hospitals, although authorities had not yet confirmed the number of casualties or the seriousness of their injuries.

Police and fire officials said they received multiple emergency calls shortly after 6 pm local time reporting a loud explosion and white smoke rising from the shopping complex.

Television footage broadcast by public broadcaster NHK showed extensive structural damage, with sections of the exterior wall torn away, exposed steel supports, a partially collapsed roof and a large hole visible on the rooftop.

Authorities said the cause of the explosion remains under investigation. Officials have not yet established whether it was directly linked to damage caused by the earthquake.

The earthquake registered the highest level of shaking in the worst-affected parts of Kumamoto Prefecture on Japan's seismic intensity scale, according to the weather agency.

Japan, one of the world's most earthquake-prone countries, frequently experiences powerful seismic activity due to its location along the Pacific Ring of Fire. Authorities continue to monitor the situation for aftershocks while emergency response teams remain deployed across the affected region.

With IANS inputs