Second earthquake hits Japan

(Vatican Radio) A second, more powerful earthquake has struck Japan. At least 29 people are reported dead. As Alastair Wanklyn reports from Tokyo, the damage is widespread.

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The magnitude-7 quake struck in the early hours on Saturday. Houses fell, fires broke out and landslides ripped away roads. This, in Japan's southern island of Kyushu.  
 
Japan's prime minister ordered stepped-up help for survivors, and greater efforts to inform residents about what they should do.
 
An earlier quake on Thursday left perhaps thousands of people homeless. Now, it's thought that buildings across a wider area may be uninhabitable.

In many cases, the ground floor of multistorey buildings collapsed but the rest of the structure was left intact.

Residents gathered out of doors, on sports fields and in school buildings, which are built to earthquake-resitant standards.

The Japanese Red Cross helped to treat injuries. Authorities warned aftershocks may continue for some time.

And heavy rain was forecast, potentially triggering more landslides in areas where the land was weakened in the quakes.