New 5.8 magnitude quake shakes southwest Japan after deadly tremor

A new earthquake measuring magnitude 5.8 shook Kumamoto prefecture in southwestern Japan on Wednesday, a day after a devastating 7.1 magnitude quake claimed 18 lives and left numerous people trapped under debris. Rescue teams are actively searching for survivors.

The latest tremor occurred at 10:19 p.m. local time, with its epicenter near the Amakusa islands, close to Kumamoto city, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. The shaking was felt strongly in the prefectural capital, reaching a level 5 on Japan's seismic intensity scale, which measures agitation on the surface and destructive potential.

Tuesday's powerful earthquake resulted in at least 18 deaths and hundreds of injuries. The government and local authorities have reported that many people remain trapped. The region has experienced hundreds of aftershocks, with 48 tremors of magnitude 3 or higher recorded, prompting authorities to warn of the possibility of a larger quake in the coming days.

While no new damage has been reported from Wednesday's quake, Tuesday's earthquake caused significant destruction. A shopping center in Kashima collapsed, possibly due to a gas leak explosion following the tremor, resulting in at least three deaths and three people still missing. Rescue teams are also searching for survivors at the Nippon Paper Industries factory in Yatsushiro, where a large chimney collapsed, causing at least five fatalities.