(TOKYO and LONDON) — A powerful earthquake rocked southern Japan on Tuesday, damaging buildings, causing injuries and prompting warnings from officials, according to local authorities and broadcasts.
The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake measured at a magnitude of 6.8 after initially reporting a preliminary magnitude of 7.1.
It struck Kyushu Island, in the Kumamoto Prefecture, shortly before 4:30 p.m. local time, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, where a large shopping mall has been damaged.
The shopping mall was evacuated when the quake struck, Japan’s NHK News reported, adding that there appeared to have been an explosion in the earthquake’s aftermath and that injuries were reported in the area.
Twenty to 30 mall employees have not yet been reached, and rescue operations are continuing, according to police.
Aerials taken above the shopping mall appeared to show that several walls, as well as the roof, partially collapsed. NHK reported that the fire department said the building’s second floor collapsed.
The Fire and Disaster Management Agency said many people could be trapped inside the mall, NHK reported.
The quake struck about 6 miles beneath the island, which is the southernmost of the main Japanese islands, according to local and U.S. weather officials.
The quake prompted the Japan Meteorological Agency to issue and later lift a tsunami advisory for the coasts of the Ariake Sea and the Yatsushiro Sea.
The agency warned that further quakes may strike the area in the coming days, with an official saying, “As the place where the latest earthquake occurred is shallow, this shows that many earthquakes have occurred.”
“We have already confirmed extensive damage, including casualties, collapsed buildings, damaged roads and fires,” Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said during a task force emergency response meeting in Tokyo on Tuesday.
The rumbling on Tuesday afternoon lasted for about a minute, according to Japan’s NHK News, which broadcast images of apparent smoke or fire nearby.
The prefecture’s airport, Kumamoto Airport, in Mashiki, suspended all flights shortly after the quake, according to a notice posted on its website.
A task force for emergency disaster response was created Tuesday, headed by Takaichi, she said. Self-defense forces with approximately 3,600 personnel began operations in affected areas, according to the prime minister.
Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority said in an emergency update that it had not recorded “abnormalities” at nearby facilities in Ikata, Genkai and Satsumasendai City.
Several thousand homes were without power following the quake, NHK reported.
Officials urged people to stay away from the ocean and the seashore. They also warned residents to watch for possible landslides.
Takaichi said strong shaking could be felt in both city of Uki and the town of Hikawa. She warned of potential tsunamis of about a meter, or just over 3 feet, near the Ariake and Yatsushiro seas.
“To those in areas that experienced strong shaking, the risk of building collapses and landslides remains high,” Takaichi said. “Please avoid entering dangerous areas and take all precautions to ensure your safety.”
The prime minister urged residents to remain alert for possible earthquakes over the next week or so, which she said could reach a seismic intensity of 7.
ABC News’ Joe Simonetti contributed to this report.
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