TOKYO: A 6.9-magnitude quake followed by a 7.1 tremor struck off southern part of Japan on Thursday, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) stated. Tsunamis of up to one meter were likely to arrive or have arrived in some coastal regions in Kyushu and Shikoku islands, according to NHK.
The first earthquake struck at a depth of 33 km followed by a second one nearby at a depth of 25 km, the USGS stated. The Japanese government have also set up a special task force in response to the the recent quakes, a statement said.
Sitting on top of four key tectonic plates along the western edge of the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” Japan is one of the world’s most tectonically active nations.
The archipelago, home to about 125 million people, experiences about 1,500 jolts every year and accounts for about 18 percent of the world’s earthquakes.
The vast majority are mild, although the damage they cause varies as per their location and the depth below the Earth’s surface at which they happen.
Still, even large quakes typically cause little damage thanks to special construction methods and strict building rules and regulations in the world’s number four countries.
On New Year’s Day, about 260 people died following a massive quake hit the peninsula, including 30 “quake-linked” deaths as well as those killed directly in the natural disaster.
