Death toll from powerful Japan quake rises to 14 as rescuers search for missing workers

The death toll from a powerful earthquake that struck Japan's southwestern Kumamoto prefecture has risen to at least 14, with dozens injured and seven people missing, Kyodo News reported Wednesday.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said earlier that 13 people were killed and seven others injured.

The quake caused widespread damage, including house fires, bridge collapses, building collapses and the destruction of steel towers. It also left 48,000 households without power.

Tuesday's quake was measured at a magnitude of 7.1 by the Japan Meteorological Agency, but the US Geological Survey (USGS) and Germany's GEOFON seismic monitoring network both estimated the magnitude at 6.8.

The tremor struck at a depth of 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) at 4.27 pm local time (0727GMT), about 5 kilometers east of Uto in Kumamoto prefecture, according to the USGS.

Officials said 33 people were injured.

The quake registered the maximum 7 on Japan's seismic intensity scale, the highest. The last quake to reach that intensity was the 2024 Noto Peninsula earthquake on New Year's Day.

Five people died in a paper plant in the city of Yatsushiro, which was among the hardest-hit sites. Two others were injured, while another four are missing.

A search-and-rescue operation was continuing for the remaining workers.

At the Aeon shopping mall in Kashima, where an explosion after the quake brought down the building's second floor, three people were killed. Aeon Co. President Akio Yoshida said one worker was found unresponsive, while three others remained missing following the blast.

More than 4,000 customers and employees were inside the mall when the earthquake struck, and an evacuation was completed within 30 minutes. It remains unclear why employees were still inside the building when the explosion occurred roughly an hour later.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), which operates a plant in Kumamoto, said Wednesday that it would take several days to resume normal production after the quake.

Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said 4,600 Self-Defense Forces personnel have been dispatched in response to the quake, with 170 involved in rescue operations at a collapsed shopping center.

The Kyushu Shinkansen bullet train resumed operations on some sections Wednesday after services were suspended following the earthquake.

The Kumamoto City Transportation Bureau earlier warned services could be suspended again if another strong earthquake occurs.

While Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways canceled 11 and two flights, respectively, due to the quake.

Authorities urged residents to remain alert for additional seismic activity.

Japan, one of the world's most earthquake-prone countries, lies along the Pacific "Ring of Fire" and experiences about 20% of the world's earthquakes measuring magnitude 6.0 or greater.

China expressed condolences for the victims, with Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning saying that Beijing is closely monitoring the situation and has activated emergency consular assistance for Chinese nationals.

"We mourn for the lives lost and express sympathies to the bereaved families and the injured," she told reporters in Beijing.

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung also conveyed condolences, pledging solidarity with Japan and expressing hope for a swift recovery and reconstruction under Takaichi.

Meanwhile, Taiwan said it is ready to dispatch rescue teams to Kumamoto within four hours if Japan requests assistance.