A handout photo made available by the Ministry of Defense shows a building on fire following a powerful earthquake in Uki City, Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan, Tuesday. Photo by Japan Defense Ministry/EPA
July 28 (UPI) -- A magnitude 7.1 earthquake hit southwestern Japan on Kyushu Island Tuesday, trapping people inside a shopping mall and injuring dozens.
The quake struck at 4:27 p.m. local time Tuesday, and about 300,000 people were told to go to evacuation shelters. There was a tsunami warning, but it was removed within an hour of the quake. At least 50 people have been taken to local hospitals.
Officials said there are "many people" believed trapped inside the Aeon Mall in the Kumamoto prefecture. The fire department in the town of Kashima said, "a shopping complex's second floor collapsed, leaving many people trapped inside."
Kyodo News reported that there was an explosion in the mall after people had been evacuated, and that caused people to be trapped inside. The second floor of the building collapsed.
