A powerful magnitude 6.6 earthquake has rocked northern Japan, with reports of collapsed buildings and people trapped.
The quake hit shortly before 3am local time, 112km south of Sapporo city on the island of Hokkaido. It struck at a shallow depth of just 33km.
Dozens of aftershocks have already been felt, with many magnitude 5 or higher and some lasting more than 30 seconds at a time. Authorities have warned people of at least a week of aftershocks.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told local media more than 800 landslides have been reported. In Sapporo city, sewage has flooded into some streets.
Japan's disaster management agency FDMA said at least two homes had collapsed in Sapporo, with many others reported, and a fire broke out at a petrochemical plant in Muroran City. An elderly man in Tomakomai suffered cardiac arrest and at least five people have been taken to hospital after falling down stairs during the quake.
According to Hokkaido Electric almost 3 million households have lost power.
Many traffic lights have no power and both airports and rail operators in Hokkaido have suspended all services, with no indication of when they will resume. Schools have also been closed.
Police have received multiple reports of injuries and people trapped, and are investigating the extent of the damage.
Landslides resulting from a preliminary magnitude 6.7 earthquake early Thursday on Japan's Hokkaido island buried a "large" number of homes at the foot of a ridge, public broadcaster NHK reported.
At least 28 people were injured in the region and 20 residents in the town of Atsuma may be unaccounted for, officials said. Twenty of those injured were in the city of Sapporo.
The earthquake was followed by multiple aftershocks, including one registered at 5.4, NHK reported, citing the Japan Meteorological Agency. The US Geological Survey said the earthquake registered at 6.6.
Nearly 3 million households lost power, according to the Hokkaido Electric Power Company. Officials said a main power station lost operations, affecting other sites. Independently owned power generators were assisting.
"The electric supply was stopped to Tomari nuclear plant, but it can operate without external electric supply for one week," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said.
Residents said they awoke to a powerful earthquake that lasted 30 seconds to one minute.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said 4,000 defense forces joined rescue operations, and that number could increase to a maximum of 25,000.
Some streets were cut off by downed trees, and additional images from the broadcaster showed crumbled buildings.
Additionally, Japan Meteorological Agency officials told NHK that risks of aftershocks are substantial for as long as the next week. They warned residents about increased risks of collapse among buildings near the epicenter.
- Typhoon Jebi hammered the country's west coast as it made landfall on Tuesday with winds of up to 135mph
- Ten people have been killed and hundreds more injured while homes and infrastructure have been destroyed
- Kansai International Airport was cut off when a 2,500-ton tanker smashed into the terminal's sole access road
- Thousands were left stranded overnight and had to make a perilous trip back across damaged carriageway
- Earthquake triggers landslide leaving one man dead and several houses razed followed by 5.3 aftershock
A powerful earthquake has rocked the city of Sapporo in northern Japan just hours after large parts of the south of the country was battered by the biggest typhoon to hit in 25 years.
The 6.6 magnitude quake hit the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido early Thursday, triggering landslides, bringing down several houses, and killing one person.
No tsunami warning was issued after the relatively shallow quake, which struck 39 miles southeast of the regional capital Sapporo.
An aftershock measuring 5.3 rocked the area moments later and smaller aftershocks followed throughout the night.
A powerful earthquake has rocked the city of Sapporo in northern Japan just hours after large parts of the south of the country was battered by the biggest typhoon to hit in 25 years
Officials warned of the risk of further quakes.
'Large quakes often occur, especially within two-three days (of a big one),' said Toshiyuki Matsumori, in charge of monitoring earthquakes and tsunamis at the meteorological agency.
He added the risk of housing collapses and landslides had increased in the area hit by the quake, saying: 'We urge residents to pay full attention to seismic activity and rainfall and not to go into dangerous areas.'
Japan sits on the Pacific 'Ring of Fire' where many of the world's earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are recorded.
The quake comes shortly after eleven people were killed, a million left without power and thousands left stranded after a fierce typhoon lashed the country, causing chaos.
Hundreds more were injured when homes and infrastructure along the west coast were devastated by Typhoon Jebi - Japan's most powerful storm in a quarter of a century.
Kansai International Airport - one of the country's busiest - was cut off when a 2,500-ton tanker smashed into the terminal's sole access road meaning thousands had to spend the night in the partially flooded facility.
This morning, boats were ferrying stranded passengers to the mainland while footage showed a caravan of buses making a perilous trip across the damaged bridge - yards from the spot where the ship had crashed into the carriageway amid 135mph winds yesterday.
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