Watch: Japanese mall explodes after magnitude 6.8 earthquake

Search teams are still looking for survivors in the partially collapsed Aeon shopping mall, which the operator told AFP had exploded after staff and customers had already evacuated.

A witness reported seeing an explosion and smoke at the shopping mall after the quake and said the second floor of the building collapsed.

The earthquake hit Kumamoto prefecture on Kyushu island at 16:27 local time (07:27 GMT) on Tuesday.

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