Several people have been trapped inside shopping centre after strong earthquake hits south Japan, officials say.
Some reports say there was an explosion at the Aeon Mall in Kumamoto, following the magnitude 7.1 earthquake which injured several people.
The quake hit inland on Kyushu island at 16:27 local time (07:27 GMT), with more than 150,000 people being told to move to evacuation shelters. There was a brief tsunami warning that was lifted within the hour.
Japan is one of the world’s most earthquake-prone countries, experiencing about 1,500 quakes a year.
The meteorological agency has warned of strong aftershocks given the shallow epicentre – 10km (six miles). Footage aired by national broadcaster NHK already shows cracked roads and bridges and several buildings on fire.
“We are still assessing the extent of injuries and property damage, but I have been informed that there have already been several injuries,” Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said on Tuesday.
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