The U.S. Geological Survey initially said the earthquake had a magnitude of 7.1, later revising it to 6.8.
Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, in a message posted on X, urged residents to avoid the coastline. She said her government has set up a task force to gather information, assess possible damage and prepare for rescue operations if needed.
Takaichi later told reporters that there have been reports of a number of injuries and damages to roads, bridges and buildings, as well as blackouts and fire. Takaichi warned people cooking to be careful with fire and with shards of broken glass. There were also local reports of people being trapped in collapsed buildings.
Video and photos shared on social media showed people taking cover as buildings shook during the earthquake. There were also several strong aftershocks, with one registering a magnitude of 5.6, according to the USGS.
The Japan Times reported that more than 48,000 homes had lost power.
CBS
A major earthquake collapsed buildings and sparked fires in Japan's southwest, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said Tuesday, with public broadcaster NHK saying at least 50 people were taken to hospitals and local emergency services saying many were left trapped inside a damaged shopping mall.
A local police source told CBS News' Japanese partner network TBS there were "a lot of deaths" in the damaged mall in the city of Kashima, but that it would "take time to confirm the exact number."
Video aired by NHK showed several blazes, damaged bridges, a derailed cargo train and cracked roads after the tremor at the far southern end of Japan's main Kyushu island. The broadcaster reported at least 12 collapsed houses.
The quake at 4:27 p.m. (2:27 a.m. Eastern) had a magnitude of 7.1, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency, but reached the highest possible level of seven on Japan's Shindo scale of shaking. The U.S. Geological Survey measured the quake — one of hundreds that strike Japan every year — at 6.8. The vast majority cause little damage.
"We are still assessing the extent of injuries and property damage, but I have been informed that there have already been several injuries," Takaichi said. "Power outages and fires are happening in some areas, and roads and bridges have been damaged and buildings collapsed."
In "Kashima town, a shopping complex's second floor collapsed, leaving many people trapped inside," the fire department said in a statement.
Police said earlier they had received reports of what sounded like an explosion at the Aeon Mall, but they did not publicly confirm the TBS report of multiple fatalities at the damaged retail outlet in Kashima.
About 45,000 households and facilities have no power in the Kumamoto region, according to local utility Kyushu Electric Power.
The firm added that three nuclear reactors operating in the region at the time were functioning normally.
A local NHK staffer wearing a helmet reported live on air that the shaking was continuing around half an hour after the quake, with the newsroom rocking so violently that it was difficult to remain standing.
"Shaking is continuing as I speak. Including myself, there may be some people who feel their hearts racing," the staffer said.
"When the quake struck, the shaking was so big that I could not stand up. Please be aware of possibility that shaking might continue after this."
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