The death toll has risen to 30 after a series of powerful earthquakes hit the area in central Japan and the vicinity, national news agency Kyodo citing local authorities.

A series of building collapses and fires left at least 30 people dead in the most-hit Ishikawa prefecture.

As more damage reports and information about people trapped continued to come in regarding other municipalities, injuries were reported in Niigata, Toyama, Fukui and Gifu prefectures due to collapsed or damaged buildings.