- This story is developing, more to follow
A strong earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.9 has hit southwestern Japan, the country’s Meteorological Agency said Monday.
Tsunami warnings were issued for Miyazaki Prefecture, where the quake was centered, in the southwestern island of Kyushu, as well as nearby Kochi Prefecture, shortly after the quake struck at 9:19 p.m. local time, according to the agency.
The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) issued the advisory for tsunami waves of up to one meter, adding that it rated the quake as a lower five on the Japanese seismic scale of seven.
According to the scale, quakes with an intensity of a lower five will likely cause windows to crack, utility poles to move and cause minor damage to roads. On top of this, rockfalls and landslide may occur.
A 20-centimetre tsunami was later recorded reaching Miyazaki city, public broadcaster NHK reported. The city – the prefectural capital – has a population of roughly 400,000 people.
Fears about the nuclear power plants in Sendai and Ikata are so far unfounded, as no irregulations have been reported, news agency NHK said citing Shikoku Electric Power.
The extent of damage was not immediately clear.
The European Mediterranean Seismological Centre said the quake was at a depth of 37 km (23 miles).
A strong earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.9 has hit Japan (File image)
The JMA urged the public to stay away from coastal waters, writing in a post to X: ‘Tsunami can strike repeatedly. Please do not enter the sea or go near coastal areas.’
The JMA is investigating whether the quake was related to the Nankai Trough, NHK said.
Japan is frequently hit by earthquakes because of its location along the ‘Ring of Fire,’ an arc of volcanoes and fault lines in the Pacific Basin.
The archipelago, home to around 125 million people, experiences around 1,500 jolts every year and accounts for around 18 percent of the world’s earthquakes.
The vast majority are mild, although the damage they cause varies according to their location and the depth below the Earth’s surface at which they strike.
Japan in August issued its first-ever advisory of higher-than-usual risks of a megaquake after a strong quake occurred at the edge of a tremulous seabed zone along the Pacific coast known as the Nankai Trough.
And last January, at least 260 people died after a massive earthquake hit the peninsula, including 30 ‘quake-linked’ deaths as well as those killed directly in the disaster.
The January 1 quake and its aftershocks toppled buildings, caused fires and knocked out infrastructure at a time when families were celebrating the new year.
More to follow.
