Consequences of powerful earthquake in Japan: footage of destruction - PHOTO

As is known, 13 people died as a result of a powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 6.8 that occurred in southwestern Japan.

The natural disaster also forced hundreds of thousands of residents to leave their homes, and rescue services continue to eliminate the consequences of the tremors and assess the scale of the destruction.

The earthquake occurred on Tuesday at 16:27 local time on the island of Kyushu. After the main tremor, a series of aftershocks was recorded in the region, which complicated rescue operations and caused additional concerns among the population.

The most serious damage was recorded in Kumamoto Prefecture. In one of the large shopping centers popular with residents and tourists, the second floor partially collapsed, trapping several people inside the building.

Footage distributed by the Japanese public broadcaster NHK shows numerous consequences of the natural disaster. Deep cracks in roads and bridges, damage to infrastructure facilities, and several buildings engulfed in fire have been recorded in various areas of the region. Fire crews continue to work on containing the fires and preventing their further spread.

Authorities have organized a large-scale evacuation of the population from the most affected areas.