AN EARTHQUAKE registering a magnitude of 7.1 shook Kumamoto on Japan’s southern island of Kyushu today, causing damage and injuries, officials said.

The second floor of the Aeon Mall shopping centre in Kashima Town collapsed, trapping an unknown number of people, and rescue operations continued throughout the day. 

A brief tsunami advisory for nearby coastal areas was lifted within two hours. 

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said that her government had set up a task force to assess damage, reporting injuries and damage to roads, bridges and buildings, as well as blackouts and fires. 

“We are putting people’s lives as the top priority,” she said, urging caution over possible aftershocks.

In the quake, a train derailed at Yatsushiro station, and stone walls were damaged at Kumamoto Castle.

“The shaking reminded me of the Kumamoto quake, and I was frightened,” said Hiroki Shimoda, who saw rooftiles of nearby homes crash down to the ground.

Kumamoto was hit by a deadly quake in 2016 that killed more than 50 people.

Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority said no abnormalities were found at nearby nuclear plants. 

Bullet trains in Kyushu were suspended and Aso Kumamoto Airport’s runway closed for safety checks.