Magnitude 7.1 Earthquake Strikes Japan, Causing Injuries and Tsunami Warning

A strong magnitude 7.1 earthquake jolted southwestern Japan on Tuesday, resulting in multiple injuries, the collapse of buildings, and igniting fires, according to Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.

The seismic event, which occurred in the Kumamoto Prefecture on the southern island of Kyushu, registered the maximum intensity level of 7 on Japan's seismic scale. The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) issued a tsunami warning, anticipating waves of up to one meter.

In response to the earthquake, the Japanese government issued emergency earthquake warnings for several prefectures across Kyushu, including Kumamoto, Nagasaki, Kagoshima, Fukuoka, Saga, Oita, and Miyazaki. Power outages were reported in some areas, and damage to roads and bridges was also noted.

Despite the significant seismic activity, Kyushu Electric Power confirmed that the Sendai and Genkai nuclear power plants experienced no operational problems. Japan's railway services, including JR Kyushu, suspended operations following the quake. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center stated there was no tsunami threat to Hawaii and American Samoa.

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We continue to assess the extent of injuries and material damage, but I have been informed that there are already several injured... in some areas there were power outages and fires, roads and bridges suffered damage and buildings collapsed.