A 6.8 magnitude earthquake in south-western Japan's Kumamoto prefecture caused a shopping centre to partially collapse, leaving people trapped inside, according to emergency services.
Earthquake Characteristics
The Japan Meteorological Agency reported that the earthquake had a depth of 10 kilometres (6.2 miles) and struck at 4.27pm local time. It registered at the highest possible level, seven, on Japan's Shindo seismic intensity scale.
Historical Impact
In 2016, Kumamoto experienced two devastating earthquakes — a magnitude 6.5 tremor followed two days later by a magnitude 7.3 quake. Those events resulted in 273 fatalities and injuries to over 2,800 people.
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