6.8-Magnitude Earthquake Hits Japan's Kumamoto, Dozens Injured as Buildings Collapse

• A powerful earthquake struck Kumamoto prefecture in southern Japan, causing a shopping mall to partially collapse with 20 to 30 employees unaccounted for
• More than 50 injuries were reported at one hospital alone, while passengers on a high-speed train were also hurt during the tremor
• Japan Meteorological Agency warned residents to stay alert for further strong quakes and landslide risks for up to a week after the earthquake

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A 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck Japan's southern Kumamoto prefecture, leaving dozens injured and triggering fears that an unknown number of people may be trapped inside collapsed and damaged buildings.

Public broadcaster NHK reported that 20 to 30 employees at a shopping mall in Kumamoto city could not be reached after the building partially collapsed following the quake.

Police were working to confirm whether those individuals were still inside the structure. Emergency services managed to evacuate most customers once the tremor hit, though authorities were also investigating whether any shoppers remained unaccounted for.

Factory workers also uncontacted

According to CNN, separately, several workers at a Nippon paper factory were reported missing after the facility suffered extensive damage, including the collapse of at least one chimney. A company employee told NHK that Nippon was still "gathering information on whether there are any casualties, but we are concerned because we have not been able to make contact." Emergency services were working to verify those reports.

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One hospital had received more than 50 injured people by the time of reporting, NHK said. Nikkei newspaper also reported that several passengers aboard a high-speed train travelling through the region were hurt when the earthquake struck. A highway bridge was seen buckling in footage from the area, and at least one other building was confirmed to have collapsed.

Residents warned of aftershocks and landslides

An official from the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) urged residents in the areas that experienced the strongest shaking to remain on high alert for up to a week. The warning covered both the possibility of further strong aftershocks and the risk of landslides triggered by the initial quake.

Japan sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire and regularly experiences seismic activity. Kumamoto prefecture was previously struck by a series of devastating earthquakes in April 2016, when a sequence of tremors killed more than 50 people and destroyed thousands of homes across the region.

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Acting President Delcy Rodriguez declared a state of emergency following the tragic incident. Rodriguez added that the Simon Bolivar International Airport in Caracas is closed due to damage. As reported by BBC News, the US Geological Survey earlier calculated a 44% chance of more than 10,000 fatalities, and a 30% chance of more than 100,000.