Contact has been lost with up to 30 people in a collapsed Japanese shopping centre after a huge 7.1-magnitude earthquake hit the nation, sparking tsunami fears across the region.
The quake struck Kumamoto on the southern main island of Kyushu. The Japan Meteorological Agency said a tsunami warning was in place for waves measuring up to 1m (3.28 feet).
The walls of an ancient castle were sent tumbling and around 45,600 homes were without power after the quake.
There are now reports of people missing inside a shopping centre that had collapsed after the devastating tremors.
Local broadcaster NHK reported between 20 and 30 people were “unaccounted” for inside the Aeon Mall outlet in Kashima Town in the Kumamoto district. Police said they had received reports of what sounded like an explosion at the mall. One of the floors of the mall has collapsed.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi saying authorities are “still assessing”.
“We are still assessing the extent of injuries and property damage, but I have been informed that there have already been several injuries,” Ms Takaichi said.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara confirmed first responders had been deployed.
Japan’s self-defence force, fire services and coast guard have all been dispatched across the region.
“We urge residents in areas where the shaking was particularly severe to pay close attention to evacuation information issued by local authorities via radio, television and the internet, and to act calmly,” he said.
The International Atomic Energy Agency says earthquake “caused no damage or safety issues at the Sendai Nuclear Power Plant, located around 100km (62 miles) from the epicentre, and that it remains in operation”.
“The IAEA will continue to monitor the situation,” it said.
Shocking footage of the initial moments of the quake are continuing to filter through on social media.
Video inside a Costco store shows items on the floor as young children can be heard screaming in the direct aftermath of the quake.
The quake occurred at the depth of 10km below the sea surface around 540 miles southwest of Tokyo, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.
A tsunami advisory has been issued for coastal areas of the Ariake and Yatsushiro seas, urging people to stay away from the coast.
Officials said there were no immediate abnormalities recorded at Japan’s nuclear power plants.
A quake with a magnitude of 7.2 hit northern Japan on June 25 but caused no deaths or major damage.
Video appearing to show a wall of Kumamoto Castle collapsing in a cloud of dust was shared on X.
Other video showed people ducking for cover inside a shopping centre as the building shook.
Kumamoto was hit with a deadly quake in 2016 that killed more than 50 people dead, 1,800 injured and tens of thousands of homes damaged or destroyed.
Officials said there were no immediate abnormalities recorded at Japan’s nuclear power plants after Tuesday’s quake.
Japan is one of the world’s most seismically active countries, sitting on top of four major tectonic plates along the western edge of the Pacific “Ring of Fire”.
The archipelago, home to around 125 million people, typically experiences hundreds of jolts every year and accounts for about 18 per cent of the world’s earthquakes.
The majority are mild, although the damage they cause varies according to their location and the depth below the Earth’s surface at which they strike.
In 2011, a huge 9.0-magnitude undersea quake triggered a tsunami that killed or left missing around 18,500 people and wrecked the Fukushima nuclear plant.
On April 20 this year, a 7.7 tremor hit the country’s north, injuring at least 10 people and shaking large buildings in Tokyo.
It prompted authorities to issue a special advisory warning of an increased risk of earthquakes of magnitude 8.0 or stronger. The advisory was lifted after a week.
Japan consistently ranks as one of the most popular international destinations for Australian travellers.
Almost 100,000 Aussies visited Japan in the 12 months to May, according to the latest data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics analysed by the Australian Travel Industry Association.
There were 987,430 Australian visitors over the year, an increase of 9.1 per cent compared to the 12 months prior.
ATIA CEO Dean Long described Japan as a “standout performer” among overseas travel destinations when the data was released this month.
– With The Sun