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Asia

The Latest: Volcano erupts in Japan; unclear if due to quake

Associated Press
Published | Updated
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    Vehicles sit at a parking lot damaged by an earthquake at Minamiaso in Kumamoto prefecture, southern Japan Saturday, April 16, 2016. A powerful earthquake struck southern Japan early Saturday, barely 24 hours after a smaller quake hit the same region. (Muneyuki Tomari/Kyodo News via AP) JAPAN OUT, MANDATORY CREDIT (The Associated Press)

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    A road is split in earthquake-hit in Mashiki, Kumamoto prefecture, southern Japan Saturday, April 16, 2016. A powerful earthquake struck southern Japan early Saturday, barely 24 hours after a smaller quake hit the same region. (Naoya Osato/Kyodo News via AP) JAPAN OUT, MANDATORY CREDIT (The Associated Press)

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    A landslide is seen after the earthquake in Minamiaso, Kumamoto prefecture, southern Japan Saturday, April 16, 2016. A powerful earthquake struck southern Japan early Saturday, barely 24 hours after a smaller quake hit the same region. (Kyodo News via AP) JAPAN OUT, MANDATORY CREDIT (The Associated Press)

MASHIKI, Japan – The Latest on earthquakes in Japan (all times local):

12:30 a.m.

Japanese media are reporting the eruption of Mount Aso, the largest active volcano in Japan located on Kyushu island where twin earthquakes killed at least 29 people, buried houses and set off landslides.

That's the first eruption in a month.

Smoke is rising about 100 meters (328 feet) in the air, but no damage has been reported.

It's not immediately clear if there's a link the seismic activity and the eruption.

Aso is 1,592 meters (5,223 feet) high and consists of five peaks. It's about 1 ½ hour drive from Kumamoto Prefecture, the epicenter of the quakes.

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12 noon

A Japanese official says the death toll in the second earthquake to hit southern Kyushu island early Saturday has risen to 19.

That's in addition to 10 people killed in Thursday's magnitude-6.5 quake.

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10:10 a.m.

A fresh earthquake measuring 5.4 has hit southern Kyushu island on Saturday morning, following a 7.3-magnitude quake that killed at least six people overnight.

Kumamoto Prefectural official Tomoyuki Tanaka says the death toll is still unclear, with the fire department reporting a higher number of at least seven.

More than 400 people are reported injured.

Japanese TV news footage showed collapsed and flattened houses, and said people are trapped in buildings.

The Japan Meteorological Agency gave a preliminary reading of magnitude-7.3 for the temblor that struck early Saturday. A magnitude-6.5 quake struck late Thursday, killing 10 people. Aftershocks are rattling various areas in Kyushu, one of Japan's main four islands.

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9:50 a.m.

Police in southern Japan say the second earthquake that struck the same region in 24 hours has killed at least six people.

The magnitude-7.3 quake shook the Kumamoto region at 1:25 a.m. Saturday. On Thursday night, the area was hit by a magnitude-6.5 quake that left 10 dead and more than 800 injured.