Multiple people were feared dead when a 7.1-magnitude earthquake hit Japan's southern Kumamoto prefecture Tuesday.
The quake also knocked out power to thousands of homes, rupturing roads and leaving some trapped inside a partially collapsed shopping mall.
Speaking to reporters in Tokyo, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said authorities were still assessing the full extent of the damage in the area, which was devastated by a deadly quake a decade ago.
"We have already been informed that people have been injured. Power outages and fires have occurred in some areas, and there has also been damage to roads and bridges and the collapse of buildings," Takaichi said.
"I ask everyone to take action to protect themselves, including evacuating to a safe location."
