Two young women have been found dead in a mall badly damaged by a powerful earthquake and subsequent explosion in Japan, local media reports, as crews continue searching for missing people.

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.

Emergency responders searched early Wednesday for people feared trapped in a shopping mall in Japan after a major earthquake toppled buildings, sparked fires and reportedly killed…

Explosion reported at the Aeon Mall in Kumamoto, Japan, after an earthquake. pic.twitter.com/f7d5UbQA72