Japan is hit by a deadly quake again

A powerful 7.3 magnitude earthquake struck a southern island in Japan, killing at least 25 people and injuring more than a thousand on Saturday morning.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said the speed of rescue efforts was critical given that wet weather is forecast overnight, which could further damage weakened buildings and cause landslides.

The epicentre of the quake was near the city of Kumamoto and measured at a shallow depth of 10 km (6 miles), the US Geological Survey said. It hit in the early hours of Saturday and follows a 6.4 magnitude quake on Thursday which killed nine people in the area.