Earthquake of 7.1-magnitude hits Japan, tremors felt across the country, tsunami advisory issued

A massive earthquake registering a preliminary magnitude of 7.1 shook Kumamoto on Japan’s southern main island of Kyushu late Tuesday afternoon and a tsunami advisory was issued, the Japan Meteorological Agency said. The quake was reported at the depth of 10 km (6 miles) below the sea surface, JMA said. No damage or injuries were immediately reported after the 4:29 pm quake. The quake was recorded in the western region of Kumamoto, about 900 km (540 miles) southwest of Tokyo. However, the US Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said there was no risk of a tsunami beyond local coasts.

In the wake of the earthquake, the Japanese prime minister’s office instructed the authorities to assess the state of affairs regarding damage as soon as possible. The government moreover instructed authorities to prioritise human life above all else and spare no effort in emergency disaster response.

Apart from this, the Japanese government also issued emergency earthquake warnings for Kumamoto, Nagasaki, Kagoshima, Fukuoka, Saga, Oita, and Miyazaki prefectures, all on Japan’s southern Kyushu island.

This is the second earthquake in a week

Another earthquake with a magnitude of 7.2 hit northern Japan on June 25 but caused no deaths or major damage. It should be noted that Japan is one of the world’s most seismically active countries, sitting on top of four major tectonic plates along the western edge of the Pacific “Ring of Fire”. Home to around 125 million people, Japan typically experiences hundreds of jolts every year and accounts for about 18 percent of the world’s earthquakes.

However, the vast majority of quakes are mild, although the damage they cause varies according to their location and the depth below the Earth’s surface at which they strike.

Notably, a tremor measuring 7.7 hit the country’s north on April 20 this year, injuring at least 10 people and shaking large buildings in Tokyo. The earthquake prompted authorities to issue a special advisory warning of an increased risk of earthquakes of magnitude 8.0 or stronger. The advisory was lifted after a week.

Japan hit by magnitude 7 earthquake

Last month on une 25, another earthquake struck the country and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Thursday advised citizens to remain vigilant after an earthquake with its epicenter off the coast of Iwate Prefecture occurred, and a strong shaking with a maximum seismic intensity of 6-upper was observed in Hashikami Town, Aomori Prefecture.

Takaichi instructed relevant ministries and agencies to provide timely and accurate information to the public regarding evacuation and damage, and said there is no concern about a tsunami. “Around 7:30 a.m. today, an earthquake with its epicenter off the coast of Iwate Prefecture occurred, and a strong shaking with a maximum seismic intensity of 6-upper was observed in Hashikami Town, Aomori Prefecture. There is no concern about a tsunami,” she said in a post on X.

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