A new strong earthquake struck the island of Kyushu late Wednesday local time. No new major damage was reported, and no tsunami warning was issued, but the tremor was one of many that have continued to occur since Tuesday's first quake, complicating rescue efforts.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said earlier on Wednesday that extensive damage had been confirmed, including injuries, collapsed buildings, fires and damage to roads.
During the evening, Kumamoto prefecture, which was hit hardest by the earthquake, announced that 14 people had been confirmed dead, reports the Japanese news agency Kyodo.
The death toll is expected to rise. The major earthquake on Tuesday was followed less than a day later by more than 190 more tremors, reports public service broadcaster NHK. It is also very hot, around 35 degrees, in Kumamoto.
Continued search
Five people are reported to have died at a paper mill and three of the deaths have been confirmed at the shopping mall where part of a floor collapsed in the quake. Witnesses at the scene say they heard an explosion and saw smoke rising from the building. Eight people have been rescued from the rubble.
According to police, the explosion occurred after around 200 people had already left the building. The incident is being investigated as a possible gas explosion as rescue workers reported smelling gas in the building.
The search continues for more missing people both in the shopping center and in the paper mill.
According to the government, over 9,000 people are in various evacuation centres. The military has mobilized 3,600 people for rescue work and sent 20 aircraft to survey the damage.
Tens of thousands without power
The quake struck on Tuesday afternoon local time at a depth of 10 kilometres off the island of Kyushu. The US Geological Survey (USGS) initially measured the magnitude at 7.1 but later revised it down to 6.8. A tsunami warning was issued, but it was lifted after less than two hours.
Across Kumamoto Prefecture, over 34,000 households and businesses were still without power as of Wednesday afternoon.
The Sendai nuclear power plant, located on the island, is, according to the UN Atomic Energy Agency IAEA, tax-free.
Japan is one of the world's most seismically active countries, located on four major tectonic plates along the western edge of the Pacific "Ring of Fire".
