Magnitude 7.1 earthquake shakes southern Japan, tsunami warning issued

A magnitude 7.1 earthquake has struck Japan’s southern Kumamoto prefecture, knocking out power to thousands of homes, stopping rail services and triggering tsunami warnings and aftershocks.

The Japanese government issued emergency earthquake warnings on Tuesday for Kumamoto, Nagasaki, Kagoshima, Fukuoka, Saga, Oita, and Miyazaki prefectures, all on Japan’s southern island of Kyushu.

A tsunami warning for waves of up to 1 metre (3.3 feet) was issued following the earthquake, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.

Japan is one of the world’s most earthquake-prone countries, with a tremor occurring at least every five minutes. Located along the “Ring of Fire” of volcanoes and oceanic trenches partly encircling the Pacific Basin, Japan accounts for about 20 percent of the world’s earthquakes of magnitude 6 or more.

In a post on X, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi urged those in the quake-hit areas “to remain vigilant for the possibility of another earthquake of similar magnitude”, adding that the government was working to assess the extent of damage “as quickly as possible”.

The Japan Times reported that cities in Kumamoto, as well as the neighbouring prefectures of Nagasaki, Kagoshima, Fukuoka, Saga and Miyazaki, felt strong shaking.

The earthquake’s epicentre was located in the city of Uki, just south of the city of Kumamoto, at a depth of 10km (6.2 miles).

Companies, including Sony and TSMC, the world’s largest contract chipmaker, have plants in the quake’s path. There was no immediate clarity on whether any infrastructure was damaged.

Leading energy supplier Kyushu Electric Power said about 40,000 homes had lost electricity as a result of the earthquake, while railway company JR Kyushu said it had suspended services, including its high-speed bullet trains.

There were no irregularities reported at the nuclear power stations in the area, the Nuclear Regulation Authority said.

Two large earthquakes in Kumamoto 10 years ago killed 275 people and injured 2,739, according to an official count.