Japan earthquake: Rescue workers save eight-month-old baby from destroyed home after 6.2 quake

At least nine people died and tens of thousands were evacuated

An eight-month-old baby was pulled out of the rubble by Japanese rescue workers after a 6.2 magnitude hit the southern island of Kyushu.

The baby was rescued from a flattened house in Mashiki, a town near Kumamoto city, where the most damage was felt.

The quake struck at 9:30pm on Thursday leaving at least nine people dead with another 1,000 injured and tens of thousands had to be evacuated.

The Japanese Government evacuated 44,400 people with over 100 aftershocks recorded after the initial earthquake.

Around 16,500 households in and around Mashiki lost electrical power following the seismic event.

The Japanese Nuclear Regulation Authority said there had been no irregularities at the three nuclear plants on Kyushu and nearby Shikoku island.

Nearly 1,600 soldiers were sent to the scene to assist the rescue operation, which has been hamped by the aftershocks.

Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, said soon after the earthquake: "We intend to do the utmost to grasp the situation. I'm now planning to hear what we have gathered on the situation."