5 killed after magnitude-7.3 quake hits Japan

Five people were confirmed dead Saturday after a powerful quake measured at magnitude 7.3 jolted Kumamoto Prefecture, with aftershocks continue rocking the area.

The powerful tremblor followed a magnitude 6.5 earthquake that hit the Kyushu region late on Thursday and left nine people dead and over 1,000 people injured.

The epicenter of Saturday's quake located in the Aso area in the Kumamoto Prefecture. The quake triggered landslide in Minamiaso village.

Houses in the Aso city collapsed and roads bulged after the quake. A main way in the city heading to Kumamoto city was blocked due to severe damages.

The Japanese government top spokesman Yoshihide Suga said around 20,000 Self-Defense Forces members were dispatched to the prefecture to help disaster relief operations.

Source: XINHUA