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A powerful earthquake hits southwestern Japan, triggering a tsunami warning

A 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck southwestern Japan, the country’s Meteorological Agency said Monday, as it warned the public to stay away from coastal areas due to the threat of a tsunami.

A tsunami warning was issued for Miyazaki Prefecture, where the quake was centered, on the southwestern island of Kyushu, and for nearby Kochi Prefecture, on Shikoku island, shortly after the quake struck at 9:19 p.m. local time, according to the agency.

There were no immediate reports of damage. Residents in some coastal areas were told to evacuate as a precaution. One man suffered minor injuries in Kyushu after falling down a flight of stairs, NHK reported. Trains stopped running at Miyazaki Station, passengers were left outside.

Public broadcaster NHK TV said the tsunami, estimated to be 3.2 feet high, made landfall within 30 minutes of the earthquake. The water level at Miyazaki Port was 8 inches high, the reports said.

The earthquake, centered at a depth of 30 kilometers (18.6 miles), shook a wide area in Kyushu, the main southwestern island, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.

The US Geological Survey revised its rating down from 6.9, adding that there is “no tsunami threat from this earthquake” in the United States.

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An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.8 struck southwest Japan, the Meteorological Agency said on Monday.

The USGS


JMA however urged the public to stay away from coastal waters.

“Tsunami can hit again and again. Please do not enter the sea or go near coastal areas,” said the organization on social media.

Japan is prone to earthquakes due to its location along the “Ring of Fire,” an arc of volcanoes and fault lines in the Pacific Basin.

NHK TV footage showed traffic moving and well-lit streets, meaning electricity was still working. No problems have been found in the various nuclear power plant monitoring sites in the area.

Experts from the meteorological agency were meeting late Monday to examine how the recent tremors might be related to the so-called Nankai Trough earthquake.

This term refers to a wide area that is believed to be prone to periodic earthquakes. The Nankai Trough earthquake in Shikoku in 1946 killed more than 1,300 people.

Last August, a strong earthquake attacked southern Japancausing very little damage but raising the level of concern about a potentially large earthquake from undersea waters off the east coast.

An earthquake on Jan. 1, 2024 in the north-central region of Japann of Noto left more than 240 people dead.

Japan has strict building codes aimed at ensuring that buildings can withstand strong earthquakes, and often holds emergency drills to prepare for major earthquakes.

But the country is haunted by the memory of the 9.0-magnitude earthquake in northeastern Japan in March 2011, which caused rain. The tsunami left around 18,500 people dead or missing.

The 2011 tsunami also sent three reactors into meltdown Fukushima nuclear power plant, causing Japan’s worst post-war disaster and worst nuclear accident since Chernobyl.

In March 2022, a 7.4 magnitude earthquake off the coast of Fukushima shook large areas of eastern Japan, killing three people.

The capital city of Tokyo was destroyed by a great earthquake one hundred years ago in 1923.

Agence France-Presse contributed to this report.


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