Earthquake leaves 13 dead in Japan as efforts to rescue survivors continues

“There are people who are still waiting to be rescued, and it’s a race against time,” Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said.

This aerial image shows the damaged AEON Mall after an earthquake in Kashima, Kumamoto prefecture, southern Japan on Tuesday. Photo: Kyodo News via AP

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said 13 people have been found dead after a powerful earthquake shook part of south-western Japan, with rescue work continuing on Wednesday morning to find those still missing.

A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck the Kumamoto area on the southern main island of Kyushu late on Tuesday afternoon.