Japan’s southwestern Kyushu region has experienced over 100 aftershocks following a powerful earthquake on Tuesday that killed at least 13 people.
Many others were reported to be in cardiac arrest, a term often used in preliminary Japanese reports before a death is officially confirmed.
Amid scorching heat, rescue crews are digging through rubble at a paper factory and a shopping mall in Kumamoto prefecture, searching for trapped survivors. The mall suffered an explosion shortly after the quake struck.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi warned that it is “truly a race against time” to rescue those trapped. Thousands are in evacuation centers, and many remain without power.
The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) is urging residents to stay alert for the possibility of strong aftershocks, according to public broadcaster NHK.
“For the next week or so, especially the next two to three days, we would like people to watch out for potential earthquakes with a maximum seismic intensity of 7,” a JMA official said.
The quake struck Kumamoto prefecture on Kyushu island at 16:27 local time (07:27 GMT) on Tuesday.
One of the worst-hit buildings was the Aeon Mall in Kashima, where a portion of the second floor collapsed.
Footage of the shopping centre showed white smoke rising as people fled to the car park, with large sections of the exterior blown away, exposing the underlying steel beams.
Three people remain unaccounted for as rescuers continue to search the debris.