Strong Earthquake Smashes Town in SW Japan, Killing 41 People

A powerful magnitude-7.3 earthquake rocked Kumamoto Prefecture in southwestern Japan in the early hours of Saturday, just a day after a sizable foreshock hit the region, with the number of fatalities now standing at 41, according to the latest figure released on Sunday. The downtown of Mashiki, hit hardest by the earthquakes, used to be bustling with people having a drink on Saturday night. Now the streets in the area were cracked and many buildings and walls around collapsed. The Japanese Meteorological Agency said that the massive quake on Saturday was the main event while the 6.5-magnitude quake earlier that killed at least 9 people was a foreshock. The agency also warned that severe aftershocks might still follow, as strong wind and rain was predicted in the Kyushu area from Saturday night. At the edge of Mashiki, many roads are blocked for fear of more building collapses or possible landslides as the rain goes heavier. Many local people slept in their cars at the roadside on Saturday night and most of them have been evacuated to a safe area. Numerous aftershocks followed the massive quake. As of 17:00 (local time) on Saturday, more than 30 shocks above magnitude 4 have been reported, causing extensive damages to the stricken region. More on: http://www.cctvplus.com/news/20160417... Subscribe us on Youtube:    / @cctvvideonewsagency   CCTV+ official website: http://newscontent.cctv.com/ LinkedIn:   / cctv-news-content   Facebook:   / 756877521031964   Twitter:   / newscontentplus