Japan earthquake: What we know so far

Japan is currently grappling with the aftermath of its latest significant earthquake.

According to the fire service, numerous individuals are stranded within an Aeon Mall shopping center following a magnitude 7.1 earthquake that struck Kyushu island. The seismic event has also led to power outages, damaged roadways, the collapse of a castle wall, and the destruction of a footbridge.

While information from Japan is still emerging, here's what has been confirmed:

The earthquake occurred in the Kumamoto prefecture on Kyushu island at 16:27 local time (07:27 GMT) on Tuesday. Approximately 300,000 people have been directed to evacuation shelters. Kumamoto, where the collapsed Aeon Mall is situated, is a city on Japan's Kyushu island. Kyushu, the southern island, is the third-largest of Japan's four main islands and the second most populated.

The Kumamoto prefecture has a history of earthquakes. In 2016, powerful quakes in Kumamoto and neighboring Oita prefectures resulted in 278 fatalities, as reported by Japan's public broadcaster NHK.

A map indicates the earthquake's epicenter in Kumamoto prefecture on Kyushu island.

The fire service has confirmed that many people are trapped inside an Aeon Mall in Kumamoto prefecture. The precise number of missing individuals remains uncertain, but NHK reports that police have lost contact with 20 to 30 employees. A witness described seeing an explosion and smoke at the shopping mall after the quake, observing the second floor of the building collapse and some shoppers being hospitalized. Japan's fire and disaster management agency later corroborated that the second floor of a "commercial facility" had collapsed, trapping many inside.

Elsewhere in Kumamoto prefecture, police, cited by NHK, report that people are missing at a paper factory after a chimney collapsed. Police and firefighters are investigating the scene at the Nippon Paper Industries Yatsushiro Plant, located in Yatsushiro City within the broader Kumamoto prefecture. An aerial photograph from Reuters news agency appears to show a broken and collapsed chimney.

Tremors also caused sections of the historic 17th-century Kumamoto castle walls to fall. This is not the first time the castle has been affected by an earthquake; a 7.3 magnitude quake in 2016 also damaged parts of the 400-year-old castle, with turrets and curved walls collapsing.

A footbridge in the Kumamoto region also collapsed. It is unclear if anyone was injured or when the collapse occurred. Traffic appears to be flowing on the parallel bridge.

Over 40,000 households are without power, according to an update on Kyushu Electric's website. Roads have also sustained damage.

Japan's Meteorological Agency has recorded more than 60 aftershocks, ranging in magnitude from 1 to 4. A tsunami warning issued immediately after the quake was lifted within two hours.

Follow live updates.