A powerful earthquake struck Japan’s Kumamoto prefecture on the southwestern island of Kyushu on Tuesday, causing widespread damage, collapsing buildings and starting fires. The magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck the Kumamoto prefecture on Kyushu island at 4:30pm (07:30 GMT) on Tuesday. Just after midnight on Wednesday (15:15 GMT Tuesday), a magnitude 4.1 aftershock struck Kumamoto prefecture, public broadcaster NHK reported. At the Aeon shopping mall in Kumamoto City, part of the second floor collapsed before a powerful explosion tore through the complex. The mall had reopened only last month after being rebuilt following the devastating Kumamoto earthquake in 2016.