People trapped inside Japan shopping centre after earthquake
People trapped inside Japan shopping centre after earthquake - Published Several people are trapped inside a shopping centre after a strong earthquake hit...
Key points
- People trapped inside Japan shopping centre after earthquake - Published Several people are trapped inside a shopping centre after a strong earthquake hit south-west Japan, officials say.
- Some local media reports that there was an explosion at the Aeon Mall in Kumamoto, following the magnitude 7.1 earthquake.
- 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.
- Emergency services said "many people" were trapped inside the Aeon Mall in the Kumamoto region.
What happened
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People trapped inside Japan shopping centre after earthquake - Published Several people are trapped inside a shopping centre after a strong earthquake hit south-west Japan, officials say. Some local media reports that there was an explosion at the Aeon Mall in Kumamoto, following the magnitude 7.1 earthquake. 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. Emergency services said "many people" were trapped inside the Aeon Mall in the Kumamoto region. In the town of Kashima, "a shopping complex's second floor collapsed, leaving many people trapped inside," the fire department said in a statement. Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said first responders had been deployed, including Japan's self-defence force, fire services and coast guard.