Earthquake in Japan kills at least 9 with more than 800 injured

At least nine people were killed and more than 800 injured by a magnitude 6.5 earthquake that toppled houses and buckled roads in southern Japan, the government's chief spokesman said Friday. About 44,000 people sought refuge, though some returned home in the morning. The quake struck at 9:26 p.m. Thursday at a depth of 11 kilometers (7 miles) near Kumamoto city on the island of Kyushu, the Japan Meteorological Agency said. There was no tsunami risk. The worst damage was in the town of Mashiki, 15 kilometers (9 miles) east of Kumamoto city. Eight of the nine killed where from the town. Earlier he said at least 19 houses had collapsed, and hundreds of calls came in reporting building damage and people buried under debris or trapped inside. Rescue operations were repeatedly disrupted by aftershocks. By early Friday there had been 116 such jolts strong enough to be felt.