Japan earthquake: overnight searches continue as people remain missing in Kumamoto
Overnight rescue searches are continuing in Kumamoto, Japan, after a 6.8-magnitude earthquake left people missing at a shopping centre and a collapsed factory site.
Emergency crews in Japan are continuing rescue operations through the night after a 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck Kumamoto Prefecture on the southern island of Kyushu.
The quake hit inland at 16:27 local time (07:27 GMT) on Tuesday, causing significant damage to buildings and infrastructure and triggering a major emergency response across the region.
Japanese officials say people remain unaccounted for at two separate sites — a shopping centre and a paper factory. Rescue teams are working in difficult conditions as they search collapsed structures for survivors.
At the Aeon Mall in Kumamoto, witnesses reported part of the second floor collapsing during the tremors. Dramatic footage from inside the building showed shelves overturned, products scattered across the floor and frightened shoppers, including children, trying to evacuate.
Officials have confirmed that four people have been rescued from the shopping centre and are not believed to be seriously injured, but 10 people are still missing there.
At Nippon Paper’s Yatsushiro Plant, a chimney reportedly collapsed during the earthquake. Authorities say two people were found in cardiac arrest, while nine others remain missing at the factory.
Firefighters, police and military personnel have been deployed to both sites, with search teams using specialised equipment to look for signs of life beneath the debris. Concerns about a possible gas leak near the affected area are also being investigated.
One eyewitness described the moment the earthquake struck, saying the ground "suddenly turned into a moving mass" as buildings shook violently around them.
The earthquake has revived memories of the devastating Kumamoto earthquakes of 2016, and authorities are warning residents to remain alert for possible aftershocks. Temporary shelters have been opened for people unable to return to their homes.
Rescue operations are expected to continue throughout the night as officials race against time to locate those still missing.
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