Strong quake, small tsunamis strike south

A POWERFUL earthquake with a magnitude of 7.1 shook southern Japan, but no major damage was reported and only relatively minor tsunami waves lashed the coast.

The quake hit off Kyushu yesterday at a depth of 25km, the US Geological Survey said.

It had initially reported two strong quakes, with magnitudes of 6.9 and 7.1, but later said there had only been one tremor.

Tsunamis of up to one metre were initially expected to arrive in some coastal areas in Kyushu and Shikoku islands, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.

But tsunamis of only up to 50cm were confirmed to have hit some places, including the port of Miyazaki, over an hour after the quake, it said. — AFP