Live: Major earthquake strikes southwestern Japan; govt forms task force to assess destruction and launch rescues, PM Takaichi confirms

Authorities expressed grave concerns late Tuesday that numerous individuals could be stranded inside a damaged shopping center in Japan, following a severe quake that leveled structures, ignited blazes, and left over 100 people wounded. According to private network TBS, a significant number of victims are suspected to have perished within the commercial venue in Kashima town. Fire officials confirmed that the building's second level gave way during the magnitude-7.1 tremor.

Here is a timeline detailing the major seismic events that have hit Japan across the past decade and a half: - On March 11, 2011, a massive magnitude-9.0 temblor and subsequent tsunami devastated northeastern Japan, claiming nearly 20,000 lives and triggering a nuclear meltdown at Fukushima, which became the worst atomic disaster since Chernobyl. - On April 16, 2016, Kumamoto — the site of Tuesday's tremor — was struck by a magnitude-7.3 quake that killed over 270 individuals, with many casualties caused by post-quake rainstorms and landslides. - On June 18, 2018, a magnitude-6.1 seismic event in Osaka, the nation's second-largest urban center, resulted in four fatalities, hundreds of injuries, and suspended operations across industrial production lines. - On September 6, 2018, Hokkaido, the northernmost main island, was hit by a magnitude-6.7 quake that killed more than 40 residents, unleashed landslips, and cut electricity to all 5.3 million inhabitants. - On February 13, 2021, an offshore magnitude-7.3 tremor struck near Fukushima in eastern Japan, injuring dozens and causing widespread electrical blackouts throughout Greater Tokyo. - On March 16, 2022, another magnitude-7.4 earthquake jarred the waters off Fukushima, leaving three individuals dead, upwards of 200 injured, and rekindling memories of the catastrophic 2011 disaster. - On January 1, 2024, a powerful magnitude-7.6 quake shook the isolated Noto peninsula on central Japan's western coastline on New Year's Day, resulting in over 300 fatalities. - On August 8, 2024, a magnitude-7.1 tremor off the southern Miyazaki coast prompted Japan's inaugural official alert regarding heightened risks of a megaquake, an advisory that remained in effect for one week.

A strong 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck Kumamoto on the southern island of Kyushu late Tuesday afternoon, resulting in physical damage and personal injuries, according to authorities. Japan's Meteorological Agency briefly issued a tsunami alert, which was withdrawn in less than two hours. The meteorological department clarified that the initial tsunami advisory applied to the Ariake and Yatsushiro Seas, adjacent to the western coastlines of Kumamoto, Nagasaki, Fukuoka, and Saga prefectures, located approximately 900 kilometers southwest of Tokyo.

Broadcaster TBS reported that a significant number of individuals lost their lives inside a shopping mall affected by a powerful earthquake in southwestern Japan on Tuesday. However, local police informed news agency AFP that they are currently unable to verify any fatalities at the Kashima town shopping centre. Prior to this, rescue teams stated that numerous individuals remained trapped under the debris following a floor collapse inside the structure.

According to media outlet TBS, a significant number of people died when a major earthquake battered a shopping mall in southwestern Japan today. Police stated that official confirmation regarding deaths at the Kashima town mall is still pending. Earlier, rescue operators reported that several people were stuck after a floor gave way. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi confirmed that the violent shaking caused several structures to collapse and incited blazes across the southwestern region. Meanwhile, network NHK noted that no fewer than 50 individuals have been shifted to medical facilities. A massive tremor in Japan's southwest has inflicted widespread casualties and destruction, triggering urgent emergency warnings and immediate rescue operations.