A powerful 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck southwestern Japan on Tuesday, prompting authorities to issue a tsunami alert for coastal areas.
The Japan Meteorological Agency reported the tremor hit Kyushu island at 16:27 local time (07:27 GMT), registering the maximum level of seven on Japan’s Shindo scale, which measures ground shaking intensity.
Tsunami waves of up to one metre were expected to reach the coast around 17:00 (08:00 GMT). National broadcaster NHK indicated that waves approaching that height may have already been detected at some locations.
This is the second significant earthquake to hit Japan in recent months. A 7.2-magnitude quake struck northern Japan on 25 June but resulted in no fatalities or serious damage.
Japan sits atop four major tectonic plates along the western rim of the Pacific Ring of Fire, making it one of the most earthquake-prone nations on Earth. The country, home to roughly 125 million people, experiences hundreds of tremors annually and accounts for about 18% of all earthquakes worldwide.
Most quakes are minor, though damage depends heavily on their location and depth beneath the surface.
The country remains deeply affected by the devastating 9.0-magnitude undersea earthquake in 2011, which triggered a massive tsunami. That disaster killed or left missing around 18 500 people and caused catastrophic damage to the Fukushima nuclear plant.
Earlier this year, on 20 April, a 7.7-magnitude tremor shook northern Japan, injuring at least 10 people and rattling buildings in Tokyo. The incident led authorities to issue a special advisory warning of heightened risk for earthquakes of magnitude 8.0 or greater, which was lifted after one week.
