View of Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan
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A powerful earthquake struck Japan’s southern coast on Thursday, triggering a tsunami warning. Residents were urged to stay away from the shoreline, but there were no reports of injuries or serious damage.
The Japan Meteorological Agency said the earthquake had a magnitude of 7.1 and its epicenter was in the waters off the east coast of Kyushu, the main island in southern Japan, at a depth of about 30 kilometers (18.6 miles).
The earthquake had the strongest impact on Nichinan City and nearby areas in Miyazaki Prefecture, Kyushu Island.
The agency said tsunamis as high as 50 centimeters (1.6 feet) were detected along the southern coast of Kyushu and parts of nearby Shikoku island about half an hour after the quake.
Seismologists are holding an emergency meeting to analyze whether the quake affected the nearby Nankai Trough, the site of past devastating earthquakes.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Hayashi Yoshimasa said officials were assessing possible casualties or serious damage but had not yet reported an immediate report. He urged residents in affected areas to stay away from the coastline.
Japan’s NHK public television station said there were reports that windows at Miyazaki Airport near the epicenter were broken.
Japan’s Atomic Energy Regulatory Agency said all 12 nuclear reactors in Kyushu and Shikoku, including three currently operating, remain safe.
Since the Fukushima nuclear disaster caused by the massive earthquake and tsunami in March 2011, earthquakes in the nuclear power plant area have been the focus of attention.
Japan is located on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” the earthquake fault lines surrounding the Pacific Ocean, and is one of the most earthquake-prone countries in the world.
On January 1, an earthquake struck the Noto region in north-central Japan, killing more than 240 people.
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