A strong earthquake hits southwestern Japan, triggering tsunami warnings

A strong earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.8 struck the southwest Japanthe country’s Meteorological Agency said on Monday.

Tsunami warnings were issued for Miyazaki Prefecture, where the temblor was centered, on the southwestern island of Kyushu, and in nearby Kochi Prefecture, shortly after the earthquake struck at 9:00 a.m. 19 pm local time, according to the agency.

The US Geological Survey he revised his estimate down from 6.9, adding that “there is no tsunami threat from this earthquake” for the United States.

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

“The tsunami may strike repeatedly. Please do not enter the sea or go near coastal areas,” the agency said on social media.

Two small tsunamis of about 8 inches were detected in two ports in the region, the meteorological agency said.

Local media reported no immediate injuries, with a live television feed from the region on public broadcaster NHK showing no visible damage, and calm seas, ships operating and traffic moving normally.

No irregularities were reported at the Ikata Nuclear Power Plant after the earthquake, NHK said, citing Shikoku Electric Power, Reuters News Agency reported.

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

Last August, a powerful earthquake hit southern Japancausing mostly minor injuries, but raising the level of concern about possible major earthquakes coming from an undersea trench east of the coast.

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