00:00A powerful earthquake struck southern Japan on Tuesday.
00:03This is Mikiben mainly affected Kumamoto Prefecture on the island of Kyushu,
00:08where authorities activated emergency protocols and continue assessing the damage.
00:12Our Asia correspondent Bruno Falci brings us the latest details.
00:19Greetings, comrades. I am in China now to report on the earthquake that struck southern Japan.
00:26The earthquake reached a magnitude of 7.1, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency,
00:35and triggered a tsunami alert that was later canceled.
00:40As a protectionary measure, around 300,000 people were instructed to evacuate in areas considered at risk.
00:50Authorities report at least 90 people injured while rescue operation and damage assessment continued.
00:59The final number of fatalities is still being confirmed by authorities.
01:06The earthquake caused serious damage to infrastructure in the region.
01:11A shopping mall center in Kumamoto suffered a partial structural collapse following an explosion.
01:19An emergency teams were deployed to rescue people trapped inside the mall.
01:26As assessed the situation, structure collapsed and damaged buildings, roads, and other infrastructure were also reported.
01:35Around 48,000 homes were left without electricity after the strong earthquake.
01:43The earthquake also affected railway transportation, a train derailed,
01:50and several lines temporarily suspended operation to carry out safety inspection.
01:56Japan is located in the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, one of the areas with highest seismic activity in
02:07the world,
02:08and has strict prevention and response systems for earthquakes.
02:13With this news from here, in China, we'll go back with you in the studios.
Comments