Major earthquake hits Japan's Kyushu region; PM says injuries reported, buildings collapsed

A powerful 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck Japan's southern Kumamoto prefecture on Tuesday, disrupting daily life and raising concerns about aftershocks and potential tsunamis. The tremor caused widespread power outages, affecting thousands of homes, and halted crucial rail services, including high-speed bullet trains.

Initial reports indicate significant damage, with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi confirming several injuries, collapsed buildings, and fires in affected areas. Roads and bridges also sustained damage, complicating rescue and assessment efforts. The Japan Meteorological Agency issued tsunami warnings for a wave measuring one meter, though no activity had been observed so far, leading to hopes of lifting the advisory.

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This earthquake occurred inland, and no tsunami activity has been observed so far. For this reason, we hope to lift the tsunami advisory at a relatively early stage, depending on future sea level conditions.

Companies with facilities in the region, such as Sony and TSMC, were checking the situation at their plants. The earthquake's impact on nuclear power stations in the area was also assessed, with Japan's nuclear regulation authority reporting no irregularities. This event highlights Japan's vulnerability to seismic activity, situated on the Pacific Ring of Fire, where earthquakes are a frequent occurrence.

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We are still assessing the extent of injuries and property damage, but I have been informed that there have already been several injuries. Power outages and fires are happening in some areas, and roads and bridges have been damaged and buildings collapsed.