TOKYO - Up to 23 people were feared dead on Thursday after a major earthquake in Japan, with four bodies now pulled out from the tangled wreckage of a shopping mall ripped apart by a suspected massive gas explosion.
The Kumamoto disaster management office's latest tally put fatalities at 17 and those without vital signs at six, with five more in critical condition two days after the 7.1-magnitude tremor.
Hundreds of rescue workers were meanwhile battling for another day to reach possible survivors in the remains of the Aeon shopping mall in Kashima in the Kumamoto region of southwestern Japan.
At the mall, "we have pulled out 10 people. Of them, four were confirmed dead. Another is without vital signs. Another five have suffered severe and minor injuries", an official from Kumamoto's disaster management office told AFP.
Tuesday's tremor caused widespread damage on the island of Kyushu, flattening homes, damaging bridges, triggering fires and leaving tens of thousands of residents without power and water.
As of Thursday morning, some 22,670 households and facilities still had no power. Around 84,000 homes were suffering water disruptions as of Wednesday.
TV footage showed people queueing for petrol and drinking water.
The US Geological Survey measured the quake at 6.8, lower than Japan's reading of 7.1.
- AFP