At least 13 people have died, and others are missing after the 6.8 magnitude earthquake that occurred on Tuesday in southwestern Japan. The Kyushu region was shaken by over 100 aftershocks, and authorities are warning about the risk of more powerful earthquakes in the coming days, reports BBC, quoted by IPN.

Rescue operations continue under difficult conditions, amid temperatures of up to +35 degrees Celsius. Over 4,600 rescuers are searching for survivors among the ruins of a shopping center and a paper factory, where several people are still missing. Japan’s Prime Minister, Sanae Takaichi, stated that retrieving those trapped under the rubble is “a real race against time.”

Thousands of people have been evacuated to temporary shelters, and several homes have been left without electricity. The earthquake caused cracks in roads and bridges, fires in buildings, and the suspension of railway traffic in the affected areas.

The Japan Meteorological Agency warns that new strong earthquakes could occur in the next two to three days. The earthquake had its epicenter about 20 kilometers south of the city of Kumamoto, at a depth of about 10 kilometers. The magnitude was initially estimated at 7.1 by the Japanese Meteorological Agency, but the United States Geological Service later revised it to 6.8.