Shopping mall collapse traps many in Japan after 6.8-magnitude quake

A 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck Japan's Kumamoto prefecture, causing a shopping mall to partially collapse and trapping multiple people. Additional damage includes a buckled highway bridge and a collapsed building, with over 50 injuries reported at one hospital.

A powerful 6.8-magnitude earthquake hit southern Japan’s Kumamoto prefecture, leading to the partial collapse of a shopping mall that left many people trapped, according to public broadcaster NHK.

Several individuals are also unaccounted for at a paper factory, a highway bridge has buckled, and at least one other building has collapsed in the quake’s aftermath.

One hospital reported more than 50 injuries, NHK said, while the Nikkei newspaper noted that several passengers on a high-speed train at the time of the quake were also injured.

An official from the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) warned residents in the worst-affected areas to remain cautious of strong aftershocks for about a week and to be alert for landslides.