A powerful 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck Japan’s southern Kumamoto Prefecture on Tuesday, prompting authorities to issue a tsunami warning and emergency alerts across the Kyushu region.
According to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), the quake triggered a tsunami warning for waves of up to one metre (3.28 feet).
Emergency earthquake warnings were issued for Kumamoto, Nagasaki, Kagoshima, Fukuoka, Saga, Oita and Miyazaki prefectures on Kyushu Island.
Kyushu Electric Power said there were no reports of abnormalities at its Sendai and Genkai nuclear power stations following the earthquake.
Rail operator JR Kyushu suspended train operations, including high-speed Shinkansen bullet train services, as safety inspections got underway.
Japan is among the world’s most earthquake-prone countries due to its location on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” where tectonic plates frequently interact, generating some of the world’s strongest earthquakes.
