35 dead and 1,500 injured following second earthquake in southern Japan
The death toll from two earthquakes in southern Japan has risen to 35.
Hundreds more are injured and 90 thousand have been evacuated from their homes.
The latest quake struck near the city of Kumamoto at 3am local time this morning.
The Japanese government has deployed thousands of troops to help rescue and relief efforts.
Two powerful earthquakes a day apart shook a region in southern Japan, killing at least 29 people, injuring 1,500 and trapping many others beneath flattened homes.
The exact number of casualties remained unclear as rescue efforts in southern Kyushu island continued to unfold.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe expressed concerns about secondary disasters from mudslides as the weather forecast for the area predicted rain and strong winds.
Mr Abe said "daytime today is the big test" for rescue efforts.
Landslides have already cut off roads and destroyed bridges, hindering rescue and relief efforts.
Japanese government spokesman Yoshihide Suga said 1,500 people were injured by the twin quakes on Thursday evening and early Saturday, 80 of them seriously.
He said the military will be boosted to 20,000 for rescue efforts. Police and firefighters are also being ordered to the region.
In a nationally televised news conference, Mr Suga asked people not to panic.
"Please let's help each other and stay calm," he urged.
Kumamoto Prefectural official Tomoyuki Tanaka said the death toll was climbing by the hour, with the latest standing at 19 from Saturday's magnitude-7.3 quake.
On Thursday night, Kyushu was hit by a magnitude-6.5 quake that left 10 dead.
A series of aftershocks ensued, including a magnitude-5.4 later on Saturday morning.
The Japan Meteorological Agency said the earthquake that struck earlier on Saturday may be the main one, with the one on Thursday night a precursor.
The quakes' epicentres have been relatively shallow - about 6 miles - and close to the surface, resulting in more severe shaking and damage. NHK TV said as many as eight quakes were being felt an hour in the area.
Japanese media reported that nearly 200,000 homes were without electricity. Drinking water systems had also failed in the area.
Mount Aso, the largest active volcano in Japan which is located on Kyushu, erupted for the first time in a month, sending smoke rising about 100 yards into the air, but no damage was reported. It was not immediately clear if there was a link between the seismic activity and the eruption. The 5,223ft mountain is about a 90-minute drive from the epicentre.
Public broadcaster NHK TV showed stones tumbled from the walls of historic Kumamoto Castle, and a wooden structure in the complex was smashed.
A bright spot was the overnight rescue of an apparently uninjured baby, wrapped in a blanket and carried out of the rubble of a home.
