The damage from an earthquake that hit southwest Japan is becoming clearer. The 6.8 magnitude quake collapsed buildings and sparked fires on Tuesday afternoon.

Two people were reported to be found dead in the debris of a damaged factory, and multiple people were trapped in a mall that collapsed during the quake, according to local rescue officials. There were 40 injured taken to a hospital in the city of Yatsushiro and about 50 more to a hospital in Kumamoto, according to local media.

More than 260,000 people were advised to evacuate by the Fire and Disaster Management Agency — mostly in Kumamoto prefecture but also neighboring Nagasaki.

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The earthquake struck near Kumamoto on the island of Kyushu, and a tsunami advisory was temporarily issued. The Japanese Defense Ministry has dispatched military aircraft to assess the situation.

The Japan Meteorological Agency said the advisory covered the nearby Ariake and Yatsushiro seas on the western coasts of Kumamoto, Nagasaki, Fukuoka and Saga prefectures about 560 miles (or 900 kilometers) southwest of Tokyo. The advisories were lifted within two hours.

The U.S. Geological Survey initially said the earthquake had a magnitude of 7.1, later revising it to 6.8. It struck at 4:27 p.m. local time (3:27 a.m. EDT).

Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, in a message posted on X, urged residents to avoid the coastline. She said her government has set up a task force to gather information, assess possible damage and prepare for rescue operations if needed.

The second floor of the Aeon Mall in Kashima, in the Kumamoto region, collapsed following the quake.

In "Kashima town, a shopping complex's second floor collapsed, leaving many people trapped inside," the Fire Department said in a statement. Police said earlier they had received reports of what sounded like an explosion at the mall, CBS News reported.

The latest reports say four people were pulled out with injuries and hospitalized, and 10 are unaccounted for. Search and rescue is ongoing, and damage is still being assessed.

Takaichi later told reporters that there have been reports of a number of injuries and damage to roads, bridges and buildings, as well as blackouts and fire. Takaichi warned people cooking to be careful with fire and with shards of broken glass. There were also local reports of people being trapped in collapsed buildings.

At Nippon Paper Industries Co. Yatsushiro factory, a huge chimney collapsed and the building was damaged, trapping 11 people under debris — two were found without vital signs and nine in unknown condition, according to the Kumamoto prefectural emergency response team.

Toyota suspended operations at three Kyushu factories; Honda also suspended some operations and a train derailed and fell on its side at Yatsushiro station in Kyodo, according to the Associated Press.

Stone walls were damaged at the Kumamoto Castle, a major tourist destination that was badly damaged in the 2016 quake and still under repair.

Video and photos shared on social media showed people taking cover as buildings shook during the earthquake. There were also several strong aftershocks, with one registering a magnitude of 5.6, according to the USGS.

The Japan Times reported that more than 48,000 homes had lost power.

Damage being assessed

Japan’s Fire and Disaster Management Agency said there were no reports of damage to major public facilities and infrastructure in the region, though authorities were still assessing the extent of damage.

Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority said no abnormalities were found at three nearby nuclear power plants from the temblor.

Shinkansen bullet trains and local trains in Kyushu have been suspended temporarily for safety checks, while the runway at the Aso Kumamoto Airport was closed following the earthquake, with “no prospect of resuming operations” according to a notice on the airport's website.

Kumamoto was hit with a deadly quake in 2016 that left more than 50 people dead, 1,800 injured and tens of thousands of homes damaged or destroyed.

Hiroki Shimoda, an official at Mifune town hall, saw roof tiles of nearby homes crash to the ground.

“The shaking reminded me of the Kumamoto quake, and I was frightened,” Shimoda said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.