A powerful 6.8 magnitude earthquake struck southwestern Japan on Tuesday afternoon, damaging buildings and homes, igniting fires and injuring dozens, prompting a search for people who may have been trapped in rubble.

日本西南部周二下午发生6.8级强烈地震，造成多栋建筑物和住宅受损，并引发火灾，还导致数十人受伤。当局已展开搜救行动，寻找可能被困在废墟中的人员。

Here’s what to know.

以下是目前已知情况。

Where did the earthquake happen?

地震发生在哪里？

The earthquake hit around 4:30 p.m. local time in Kumamoto Prefecture on Kyushu island, the southernmost of Japan’s main islands.

地震发生于当地时间下午4时30分左右，震中位于日本九州岛的熊本县。九州是日本主要岛屿中最南端的一个。

The earthquake’s intensity led to buildings collapsing in the region. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi of Japan said people were trapped inside some structures. Fires also erupted in Kumamoto City, the regional capital, which has a population of more than 700,000.

地震造成当地多栋建筑倒塌。日本首相高市早苗表示，一些建筑物内有人被困。人口超过70万的熊本县首府熊本市还发生了多起火灾。

The epicenter of the quake was near Uto, a smaller coastal city around 30 miles south of Kumamoto City, according to the U.S. Geological Survey

据美国地质调查局数据，震中位于熊本市以南约48公里的沿海小城宇土市附近。

The U.S. agency had earlier reported a magnitude measurement of 7.1 for the earthquake before it adjusted the figure to 6.8.

该机构此前报告地震震级为7.1级，随后修正为6.8级。

Where was the most severe damage?

受灾最严重的是哪里？

The second floor of a shopping mall in southern Kumamoto City collapsed, injuring two people. Crews were working to rescue people who may have been trapped inside. Video footage posted on social media showed debris scattered inside and outside the mall.

熊本市南部一家购物中心二楼发生坍塌，造成两人受伤。救援人员正在搜救可能被困在内部的人员。社交媒体上的视频显示，商场内外散落着大量瓦砾。

Aerial footage showed a flipped train carriage on tracks in the city and widespread damage to buildings and bridges. Other images recorded by the public broadcaster NHK also captured elevated sections of the Kyushu Expressway that had split into two pieces, as other footage showed a wall that had partly collapsed at Kumamoto Castle, a landmark in the city’s center.

航拍画面显示，市内一节列车车厢在轨道上发生侧翻，多栋建筑和桥梁受损。公共广播机构日本广播协会(NHK)拍摄的画面还显示，九州高速公路部分高架路段断裂成两截；还有画面显示，位于熊本市中心的地标性建筑——熊本城有城墙局部坍塌。

The prime minister said the authorities were still assessing the severity of the damage to buildings and bridges.

日本首相表示，当局仍在评估建筑和桥梁的受损严重程度。

Was anyone killed or injured?

是否有人伤亡？

At least one person died in a hospital after being found in a collapsed house in Kumamoto, according to the police.

据警方消息，在熊本，一名在倒塌房屋中发现的人员送医后死亡。

At least 50 people were being treated for injuries at a hospital in Hikawa, a town to the south of Kumamoto City, according to NHK.

据NHK报道，位于熊本市以南的冰川町一家医院已收治至少50名伤者。

The last major quake in Japan in 2024, centered on the Noto peninsula farther north, killed hundreds of people, with more succumbing to disaster-linked causes afterward, according to NHK.

据NHK报道，日本上一次重大地震发生于2024年，震中位于更北部的能登半岛，那次地震造成数百人死亡，之后又有不少人因灾害相关原因不幸去世。

In April 2016, the Kumamoto region also experienced days of deadly seismic events that killed at least nine and injured hundreds, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

2016年4月，熊本地区也曾连续发生多次致命地震。据美国地质调查局资料，当时至少九人死亡、数百人受伤。

What is the status of the area’s nuclear power plant?

当地核电站情况如何？

The Sendai Nuclear Power Plant appeared to be secure and had no reports of abnormalities, Minoru Kihara, a top Japanese cabinet official, said during a news briefing.

日本内阁官房长官木原稔在新闻发布会上表示，川内核电站目前运行正常，未发现任何异常情况。

The power plant, which has two reactors and supplies electricity to the Kyushu region, is in Kagoshima, south of Kumamoto.

该核电站位于熊本以南的鹿儿岛县，它拥有两座反应堆，为九州地区供电。