TOKYO (Bernama-Kyodo): An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.1 struck southwestern Japan on Tuesday, the weather agency said, with several people likely injured, Kyodo News reported.
Tsunami advisories were issued for the Ariake and Yatsushiro seas following the quake but were later lifted.
The 4.27 pm (local time) quake was centred in Kumamoto Prefecture at a depth of about 10 kilometres, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.
The quake registered the maximum intensity of 7 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale in Uki and Hikawa in Kumamoto Prefecture, and upper 6 in surrounding areas.
The agency defines seismic intensity 7 as a level at which people cannot remain standing or move without crawling and may be thrown into the air.
The intensity of 7 was recorded for the first time since January 2024, when a powerful earthquake struck the Noto Peninsula in central Japan.
The Uki Fire Department in Kumamoto Prefecture said it had been receiving continuous emergency calls, with multiple people possibly injured. It added that firefighters were assessing the situation following a fire.
Meanwhile, about 48,000 households in the prefecture were affected by a power outage, according to the local fire department and the power company.
The quake also registered upper 5 in neighbouring Kagoshima Prefecture and lower 5 in Fukuoka and Saga prefectures.
At a press conference, the weather agency warned of the risk of building collapses and landslides, while advising people to remain alert for earthquakes of similar intensity over the next few days.
Although no tsunami waves had been observed, the agency urged people in the water to leave immediately and stay away from coastal areas.
No abnormalities were reported at the Sendai nuclear power plant in Kagoshima Prefecture or the Genkai nuclear power plant in Saga Prefecture, according to Kyushu Electric Power.
Runways at Aso Kumamoto Airport were closed as of 4.40 pm (local time), with no indication of when operations would resume, the operator said on its website.
According to JR Kyushu, operations were suspended on all lines in its service area, including bullet train and local services.
Kumamoto Prefecture was hit by two successive earthquakes measuring magnitudes 6.5 and 7.3 a decade ago, claiming 270 lives. -- BERNAMA-KYODO
