A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck south-west Japan's Kyushu island, leaving several people trapped inside a shopping centre and injuring a number of others. The quake prompted more than 150,000 people to be told to move to evacuation shelters, and a brief tsunami warning was issued before being lifted within the hour. Japan experiences frequent seismic activity, but a quake of this magnitude causing entrapment and widespread damage highlights the significant risk posed to densely populated areas.

The earthquake struck inland at 16:27 local time (07:27 GMT), with a shallow epicentre of just 10km, prompting warnings from the meteorological agency of strong aftershocks. People remain trapped at the Aeon Mall in Kumamoto, with some reports suggesting an explosion occurred there, while national broadcaster NHK has aired footage showing cracked roads and bridges and buildings on fire. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said assessments of injuries and property damage were ongoing but confirmed several people had already been hurt.