10,000 people have been evacuated.
A powerful earthquake in southern Japan, on Kyushu island, which occurred on Tuesday, resulted in the death of at least 13 people, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi announced, according to the BBC.
According to authorities in Kumamoto Prefecture, where the tragedy occurred, almost 10,000 people have been evacuated. Approximately 37,000 households were left without electricity.
Earlier reports stated the deaths of two women who were in the collapsed Aeon Mall in Kumamoto. Another person died due to cardiac arrest.
The magnitude of the earthquake, which occurred deep within Kyushu island at 4:27 PM local time on Tuesday (10:27 AM Minsk time), was 7.1.
Speaking to reporters in her Tokyo office shortly after the tragedy, Sanae Takaichi stated that roads and bridges were damaged as a result of the disaster.
“At the request of the Kumamoto Prefectural Governor, the Self-Defense Forces are currently conducting operations in the disaster-affected areas with 3,600 personnel. In this critical situation, guided by the principle that 'human life is of paramount importance', we are working closely with local authorities to minimize the extent of the damage and ensure the safety of the population.”
The Japan Meteorological Agency warned of strong aftershocks due to the shallow depth of the earthquake's focus — 10 km. According to the agency, 61 aftershocks were recorded on Tuesday after the main tremor.
In addition to the magnitude scale, Japan uses its own seismic intensity scale, which ranges from 0 to 7. Tremors of zero intensity are not felt by people, while an intensity of 7 means that furniture shifts and buildings with low seismic resistance may collapse.
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