Several dead after powerful earthquake and shopping mall explosion in Japan

KUMAMOTO, Japan – A powerful magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck Japan's southern island of Kyushu, followed more than an hour later by a gas explosion inside a shopping mall in Kumamoto. Authorities have confirmed multiple fatalities, although the exact death toll has not yet been released.

Witnesses reported smelling gas before the explosion, which occurred while the building was being evacuated. Part of the mall collapsed, leaving people trapped beneath the rubble.

The earthquake, Japan's strongest in years, also caused power outages, fires and structural damage to buildings and bridges. A tsunami warning for Ariake Bay was later lifted.

Officials said no damage was detected at three nearby nuclear power plants. Japan is one of the world's most earthquake-prone countries and has experienced several devastating earthquakes in recent decades.