Damage and death toll mounts as second big quake hits southern Japan

A woman reacts as she takes shelter at Kumamoto Red Cross Hospital after an earthquake in Kumamoto, southern Japan, in this photo taken by Kyodo, April 16, 2016. [Photo/Agencies]

Shocks and aftershocks

Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda said it was too early to assess the economic impact and bank operations in Kumamoto were normal.

"We'll closely monitor the effect of the earthquake and take appropriate action, working closely with relevant authorities," Kuroda said in Washington after a G20 finance leaders' meeting.

Much of the area around Kumamoto and a few sizeable towns is rural. Television footage showed many frightened people wrapped in blankets sitting outside their homes while others camped out in rice fields.

The earthquake on Thursday evening in the same region was of 6.4 magnitude and experts said the tectonic events could be linked.

"Thursday's quake might have been a foreshock of this one," Shinji Toda, a professor at Tohoku University, told NHK.

Aftershocks rattled the region on Saturday, including two of nearly 6 magnitude, and experts warned of more. "We would not be surprised to see more earthquakes of this size," said John Bellini, a geophysicist with the US Geological Survey.

A magnitude 9 quake in March 2011 north of Tokyo touched off a massive tsunami and nuclear meltdowns at Fukushima. Nearly 20,000 people were killed in the tsunami.

The aftermath of a landslide and destroyed houses caused by an earthquake are seen in Minamiaso town, Kumamoto prefecture, southern Japan, in this photo taken by Kyodo April 16, 2016. [Photo/Agencies]

Japan is on the seismically active "ring of fire" around the Pacific Ocean and has building codes aimed at helping structures withstand earthquakes.

Factories in the area operated by manufacturers including Honda Motor and Sony Corp halted production after Thursday's tremor but no major damage was reported.

The 2011 quake temporarily crippled part of Japan's auto supply chain, but some companies have since adjusted the industry's "Just in Time" production philosophy in a bid to limit any repeat of the disruption.