13 people have been confirmed dead after a powerful earthquake struck south-west Japan, with rescue efforts continuing in the worst-hit areas.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi confirms the death toll as emergency crews continued searching for survivors trapped under collapsed buildings.
Rescue teams are focusing on a shopping mall in Kumamoto, where a number of people remain trapped after the second floor reportedly collapsed during the quake.
Authorities have also confirmed that several people remain unaccounted for at the shopping centre and at a nearby factory where a chimney collapsed.
Emergency personnel, including firefighters and rescue workers, are continuing search and rescue operations as authorities warn residents to remain alert for possible aftershocks.
Source: BBC News
