Police received reports of an explosion at the Aeon Mall outlet in the Kumamoto region but the force did not provide information on damage or any casualties.
The fire department in Japan's Kashima town have released a statement confirming a shopping complex's second floor collapsed, "leaving many people trapped inside", following an earthquake on Tuesday afternoon.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
According to preliminary measurements, a 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck Kumamoto prefecture in southern Japan, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) reported.
One person was killed when a house collapsed, according to Kyodo News.
The agency said the quake began on the seabed off the coast of Kumamoto at a depth of about ten kilometres, triggering a tsunami warning that was lifted shortly afterwards. Around 50 people were taken to hospital. There were no immediate reports of damage.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi urged the public on the X social media platform to stay away from the coast. She said the government had set up a taskforce to gather information, assess any potential damage and, if necessary, prepare rescue operations.
The Japanese government had earlier issued warnings for the affected areas, including the prefectures of Kumamoto, Nagasaki, Kagoshima, Fukuoka, Saga, Oita and Miyazaki on the island of Kyushu. Authorities urged around 150,000 people to seek refuge in shelters specifically designated for earthquakes.
The quake left at least 48,000 households without electricity on Kyushu, and rail services were suspended, with Shinkansen bullet trains also halted.
Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority said no irregularities had been detected at three nuclear power plants close to the quake.
The strong tremor was also felt in parts of South Korea, including the major south-eastern port city of Busan.
The area has a history of quakes; 10 years ago, a powerful earthquake in Kumamoto claimed 275 lives, injured 2,739 people and left tens of thousands of residents homeless.