Earthquake kills 9 in southern Japan

A magnitude 6.4 earthquake in southern Japan has killed at least nine people and injured 250 others, after it destroyed buildings and power lines into the area.

International media report that more people could be trapped under the buildings and thousands have abandoned their homes, with troops on the scene carrying out rescue operation following the earthquake.

According to officials rescue attempts are being interrupted by aftershocks, measuring some 5.7 and 6.4 on the Richter scale, but no tsunami warning has been issued after the quake struck at 21:26 on Thursday east of Kumamoto.

The BBC reports that nuclear reactors on the island have not been affected.

According to reports, Japan's seismology office recorded the shaking at some places to be as intense as the huge magnitude nine earthquake that hit the country in 2011, and triggered a devastating tsunami that left over 18,000 people dead or missing, as well as causing meltdowns at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.