A major earthquake struck Japan on July 28, injuring at least 50 people, collapsing buildings and damaging roads, according to authorities and local news reports.
The quake hit at 4:27 p.m. local time about 3 miles east of the coastal city of Uto in the Kumamoto Prefecture. It had a magnitude of 6.8, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The Japanese Meteorological Agency reported the magnitude at 7.1.
In the initial aftermath of the earthquake, Japanese authorities issued a tsunami warning that was later lifted. The country’s meteorological agency warned residents that additional strong earthquakes could happen over the next week. Landslides are also a major risk in areas with weakened ground, the agency said.
More than 50 people were reportedly injured at one hospital, according to public broadcaster NHK. At a shopping mall, people were trapped after an explosion, according to fire officials. Images from outside the Aeon mall in Kashima Town show a badly damaged building among debris.
“We have already been informed that people have been injured,” Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said. “Power outages and fires have occurred in some areas, and there has also been damage to roads and bridges and the collapse of buildings.”
The power company Kyushu Electric Power said nearly 46,000 homes in the Kumamoto Prefecture were without power after the earthquake.
Contributing: Reuters