Deaths feared after ‘many people’ trapped inside Japanese shopping centre following earthquake – as it happened

A magnitude six point eight earthquake has struck Kumamoto prefecture on the Japanese island of Kyushu, with officials warning deaths are feared after many people became trapped inside a shopping centre. The Guardian reports the quake knocked out power to forty-eight thousand homes and forced JR Kyushu to suspend rail services, including its bullet trains. Kumamoto airport has also shut its runway, with airlines diverting and cancelling flights. Rescue efforts at the shopping centre are ongoing as authorities assess the full scale of the damage.

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