6m ago / 6:46 AM EDTMultiple people trapped in mall after earthquakeMultiple people are trapped in a mall hours after a strong earthquake struck southern Japan, local fire officials say. The partially destroyed AEON Mall today. Kyodo via AP ImagesAn explosion was also heard on the second floor of the AEON Mall, officials said, according to state broadcaster NHK, which carried footage of almost a dozen fire trucks in the facility's parking lot.Images also showed the mall's collapsed ceilings and facade, and a debris-littered road.21m ago / 6:31 AM EDTEarly images reveal disruption from 7.1 quakePassengers crowd JR Hakata Station in Fukuoka southwestern Japan as bullet train services are suspended following the 7.1-magnitude earthquake this morning. Kyodo via APFallen shelves and office equipment in Kumamoto Prefecture. Kyodo via APThe exterior wall of a store collapsed in Kumamoto City.JIJI Press / AFP via Getty Images31m ago / 6:21 AM EDTSeveral buildings damaged in the quake, aerial footage showsAt least 12 buildings had collapsed, state broadcaster NHK reported, including four cases were people were still trapped. Most of the incidents were recorded in the city of Yatsushiro, a small city in in Kumamoto Prefecture. NHK ran aerial footage of a large commercial facility and mall in Kumamoto prefecture with a collapsed ceiling and exposed internal structure. Pillars holding a shrine had also collapsed and a building had also caught on fire. At least 7 fires were recorded in the Kumamoto prefecture, the broadcaster reported.31m ago / 6:21 AM EDTMajor earthquake rocks JapanA major earthquake hit southern Japan on Tuesday, derailing a train, injuring dozens and triggering a regional tsunami warning. The Japan Meteorological Agency said the earthquake, with a preliminary magnitude of 7.1 and depth of 10 kilometers, or just over 6 miles, was at the highest end of the seismic intensity scale. Japan’s Cabinet Office’s Disaster Management Division said the earthquake struck at around 4:27 p.m. local time (3:27 a.m. ET), with a tsunami advisory issued for the Ariake and Yatsushiro Seas minutes later. The warning was later lifted, state broadcaster NHK reported.Read full story here31m ago / 6:21 AM EDTWhy Japan is one of the most earthquake-prone countries in the worldJapan experiences tremors — both minor and major — almost every day, making it one of the most earthquake-prone countries in the world. The East Asian country sits on the “Ring of Fire,” where several tectonic plates converge, triggering many of the world’s earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.Firefighters at the scene of a burning house, in a still taken from a video of Uki, Kumamoto Prefecture, following an earthquake today. via ReutersNearly 20% of global earthquakes measuring 6.0 or higher occur in Japan. Since 2011, when a 9.0-magnitude earthquake and tsunami triggered meltdowns at three reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, Japan has significantly strengthened its earthquake warning systems and evacuation protocols.