TOKYO: Japan issued a tsunami alert after a powerful 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck the southwestern island of Kyushu on Tuesday, causing widespread power outages and prompting emergency warnings along parts of the coast.
The earthquake struck at 4:27 pm local time and registered the maximum level seven on Japan’s Shindo intensity scale, indicating extremely violent ground shaking, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.
Aerial footage from an NHK news broadcast shows severe damage to the Kyushu Expressway, where bridge sections appear to have shifted and separated at the expansion joints following the magnitude 7.1 earthquake in Kumamoto, Japan. pic.twitter.com/JQXZeFwMrs
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Authorities warned that tsunami waves of up to one metre could reach affected coastlines, while public broadcaster NHK reported that waves may already have been observed in some areas.
The quake left around 45,000 households and other facilities without electricity in Kumamoto Prefecture, regional utility Kyushu Electric Power said.
Despite the strong tremor, the company reported that three nuclear reactors operating in the region continued to function normally, while Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority said no abnormalities had been detected at nuclear power plants.
Television footage showed buildings shaking as residents were urged to remain alert for aftershocks. An NHK reporter broadcasting live from the affected area said the ground continued to shake and described conditions as severe enough to make it difficult to stand.
Japan is among the world’s most earthquake-prone countries, lying along the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, where several major tectonic plates meet.
The country continues to strengthen disaster preparedness following the devastating 2011 earthquake and tsunami that triggered the Fukushima nuclear disaster and claimed around 18,500 lives or left people missing.
Authorities urged residents in coastal areas to follow evacuation instructions and monitor official updates as aftershocks remained possible.
