Kumamoto, Japan: A powerful earthquake struck the Kumamoto area on Japan's southwestern main island of Kyushu on Tuesday, causing extensive damage to buildings, homes and infrastructure.Photographs from the affected region show heavily damaged structures, including a shopping mall, a factory and multiple residential properties, as emergency crews worked to assess the destruction.Images from the scene capture the extent of the damage, with collapsed sections of buildings, debris-strewn streets and rescue personnel operating in affected communities.Authorities continued to assess casualties and structural damage as recovery efforts got underway.This story is based on an Associated Press photo gallery documenting the aftermath of the earthquake in southwestern Japan.
