Customers took cover on the floor of a Muji store in Kumamoto prefecture after a 7.1 earthquake struck southern Japan, eyewitness footage shows.
Reuters was able to confirm the location from business signage, shop layout and interior which matched with file images. Date verified by official reports and corroborating footage.
The quake knocked out power to thousands of homes and ruptured roads across the region.
Across the prefecture, which also suffered a deadly earthquake a decade ago, around 260,000 people were instructed to go to evacuation centres, authorities said.
The quake’s epicentre was about 20 kilometres (12 miles) south of Kumamoto City, central Kyushu's largest city with a population of around 700,000.
Authorities have warned residents in the areas that felt the biggest tremors to be on alert for further strong quakes for about a week, as well as for the risk of landslides.
Posted by: Alma Angeles/NET25 NEWS
