At least 13 people were killed after a powerful 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck Japan's southwestern Kumamoto region on Tuesday, flattening buildings and trapping people under collapsed structures as rescue teams raced to find survivors.
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The earthquake struck the Kumamoto region on the southern island of Kyushu at around 4.27 pm local time, causing widespread damage to buildings, roads, factories and public infrastructure.
"Even now, there are people waiting to be rescued, and this is a race against time. We will marshal all available resources on the ground to save and rescue as many people as possible," Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told reporters on Wednesday.
In a post on X, Takaichi said the quake caused building collapses, road damage, fires and casualties. She said the government set up an emergency task force at 6.20 pm and held its first response meeting at 7.49 pm.
The prime minister also expressed condolences to the families of those killed and said authorities were working to restore electricity and water supplies while tackling the risk of heatstroke in evacuation centres.
