At least 13 killed and more missing after major earthquake struck southern Japan

At least 13 people have died and many more are missing or injured after a powerful earthquake struck southwestern Japan on Wednesday.

Soldiers and emergency workers searched a heavily damaged shopping centre and collapsed homes for trapped survivors.

Bullet train services and some airport operations remained suspended as authorities continued to assess the damage a day after the magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck the Kumamoto region on Japan’s southern main island of Kyushu.

“There are people who are still waiting to be rescued, and it’s a race against time,” Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said.

“We will go all out to find and rescue as many people as we can.”

Approximately 36,900 homes remain without electricity, while 9,500 are without gas, and communications networks are still down in some areas, according to chief government spokesman Minoru Kihara.

More than 9,000 people had taken shelter at over 500 evacuation centres.

A vehicle passes by collapsed houses. / Credit: AP

A visitor looks at the fallen roofs of the Yatsuhiro Shrine after the earthquake. / Credit: AP

Kihara said additional power supplies were being installed to ensure the centres had air conditioning, as temperatures in the region were forecast to exceed 32C.

Japan’s Self-Defence Forces joined emergency crews searching for survivors at the heavily damaged Aeon Mall in the town of Kashima.

The shopping centre’s second floor collapsed after an explosion believed to have been caused by a gas leak, trapping an unknown number of people.

The roof and wall of a building are seen fallen. / Credit: AP

At the Nippon Paper Industries factory in Yatsushiro, a collapsed chimney trapped several people under rubble, according to the Kumamoto emergency team.

As of Wednesday, seven people were believed to remain trapped. Two survivors and two bodies had been recovered, officials said.

Prime Minister Takaichi said the government was preparing to deliver food and other essential supplies to the worst-affected areas.

She also offered her condolences to the victims and their families and urged those affected to take care in the heat.

The Kyushu Shinkansen bullet train remained suspended on Wednesday.

Aso Kumamoto Airport resumed operations after closing one of its runways on Tuesday, although officials warned some flights could still be cancelled.

Stone walls at Kumamoto Castle, one of the region’s main tourist attractions, were damaged in the earthquake.

The landmark was badly affected by the 2016 quake and is still undergoing repairs, according to Kyodo News.