At least 12 people have been confirmed dead after a 7.3-magnitude earthquake rocked Japan's southwestern Kumamoto Prefecture on Saturday, bringing the total number killed since Thursday to 21, reports China's Xinhua news agency.
Local government officials confirmed that at least 12 people died and hundreds hospitalised as a result of the powerful earthquake that hit Kumamoto in the early hours of Saturday, followed by numerous severe aftershocks.
The quake struck at 1.25am local time (12.25am Malaysian time) and was upgraded from a provisional magnitude of 7.1 to 7.3, with the temblor being felt across wide swathes of southern Japan and triggering a tsunami warning which was later lifted.
Numerous aftershocks followed, including a magnitude-5.4 quake registering lower 6 on Japan scale that shaked Kumamoto at 9.48 am local time (8.48am Malaysian time).
Local media also reported a "small-scale" eruption at Mount Aso, a large active volcano in Kumamoto. The Japanese Meteorological Agency said that it was not clear how the eruption was linked to the quakes.
The agency also said that Saturday's massive earthquake was the main one while the one on April 14 was a foreshock.
A 6.5-magnitude quake hit southwestern Japan Thursday night, killing nine and injuring over 950 others.
The quakes triggered blackout in three municipalities affecting about 200,000 households. Traffic was halted on some expressways in Kumamoto and Miyazaki Prefectures and parts of local roads were damaged.
All flights from Kumamoto Airport on Saturday have been cancelled, said local reports.
No abnormalities were observed at the Sendai nuclear power plant, the only operating nuclear facility in the area, said local reports.
- Bernama
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