Massive 7.4 magnitude earthquake hits Japan, reports of residents trapped under rubble

Japan quake update: reports of residents trapped under rubble https://t.co/DJN5pnt8OJ

— Sean Breslin (@Sean_Breslin) April 15, 2016

There were no immediate reports of casualties in the quake, the epicentre of which was near the city of Kumamoto and measured at a depth of 40 km (25 miles), the US Geological Survey said.

A quake in the same region on Thursday evening killed nine people and injured at least 1,000. "Thursday's quake might have been a foreshock of this one," Shinji Toda, a professor at Tohoku University, told national broadcaster NHK.

A tsunami warning was lifted and no irregularities were reported at three nuclear plants early Saturday after a strong aftershock from a Thursday earthquake hit southern Japan, local media said.

The new quake, measuring 7.1 magnitude according to the Japan Meteorological Agency, caused some injuries and trapped some people in the area around Kumamoto on the southernmost main island of Kyushu, public broadcaster NHK said.

A tsunami warning after the 1:25 a.m. (1525 GMT) quake was lifted, media said. There were no irregularities at Kyushu's Sendai nuclear plant, which continued to operated, or at the Genkai plant, also on Kyushu, or the Ikata plant on nearby Shikoku, NHK said.

According to BBC reports, Tsunami warning which were issued immediately after the quake have been called off.

Some people are reported trapped in houses in various areas. 

USGS is now officially calling Thursday's 6.2 magnitude earthquake in Japan as a foreshock. The earthquake on Thursday resulted in loss of nine lives and damaged many houses.

The USGS officials say that there is 99% chances of additional fatalities with the fresh earthquake. 

Prelim. magnitude 7.0 earthquake in Japan: https://t.co/6Rym2PKMZW pic.twitter.com/KRChCLiw8j

— USGS in Washington (@USGS_WA) April 15, 2016