The number of victims who died in the earthquake in Japan has reached 13, while rescue teams are pulling people from the collapsed shopping center.

A powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 7.1 occurred on Tuesday near the city of Kumamoto, Japan, causing the death of at least 13 people, rescue teams are desperately searching for survivors trapped under the rubble, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said on Wednesday.

The earthquake interrupted the power supply to thousands of homes and destroyed roads throughout the region.

"Even at this moment, there are people waiting to be rescued, and this is a race against time. We will mobilize all available resources on the ground to save as many people as possible," Takaichi told reporters.