A powerful 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck Kumamoto Prefecture on Japan's southern island of Kyushu on Tuesday afternoon, triggering emergency warnings and prompting authorities to assess the extent of the damage.
On Wednesday, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said 13 people have been found dead since the earthquake struck. She added that many other people were still missing, suggesting the death toll was not final.
"Even now, there are people waiting to be rescued, and this is a race against time. We will marshal all available resources on the ground to save and rescue as many people as possible," Takaichi told reporters at her office in Tokyo a day after the quake struck.
At least two of the victims died in a shopping mall in Kashima and the third died in a building collapse in a town near the epicenter.
Japan's public broadcaster, NHK, reported that "many people" were trapped inside the shopping mall damaged by the earthquake.
