A 7.1-magnitude earthquake shook Kumamoto on Japan's main southern island of Kyushu on Tuesday afternoon, causing damage and injuries, officials said. A tsunami warning was temporarily issued but was lifted within two hours, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.
The agency said the tsunami advisory covers the nearby Ariake and Yatsushiro Seas on the west coast of Kumamoto, Nagasaki, Fukuoka and Saga prefectures about 900 kilometers (560 miles) southwest of Tokyo.
The US Geological Survey initially said the earthquake had a magnitude of 7.1, but later revised it down to 6.8.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, in a message posted on X, said his government has established a team to gather information, assess possible damage and prepare rescue operations if necessary.
Takaichi later told reporters that there were reports of injuries and damage to dozens of roads, bridges and buildings, as well as power outages and fires, although the details were unclear. Takaichi warned cooks to be careful of fire and broken glass pieces.
Kyodo News Agency said a hospital in the city of Yatsushiro received about 40 people injured in the quake. The train derailed and fell on its side at Yatsushiro Station, damaging the stone walls of Kumamoto Castle, Kyodo said.
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Yozo Kai, a priest at a Shinto shrine in the nearby town of Mashiki, said several stone lamps fell. “I was worried that the main hall and the gate would tilt again,” he told Kyodo.
“The shaking reminded me of the Kumamoto earthquake (10 years ago) and I was scared,” said Hiroki Shimoda, an official at Mifune city hall, who saw the roofs of nearby houses collapse.
Japan's Fire and Disaster Management Agency said there were no reports of damage to major public facilities and infrastructure, although authorities are still assessing the extent of the damage. Local fire departments received many emergency calls reporting fires and damage to homes.
“We are putting people's lives first,” Takaichi said, urging residents in the most affected areas to be vigilant because of possible aftershocks.
Shinji Kiyomoto, JMA's chief of Earthquake and Tsunami Countermeasures planning, told a press conference that shallow earthquakes cause earthquakes in the area, urging residents to be especially careful in the next two to three days. He said, however, that no tsunami was observed after the earthquake.
Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority said no irregularities were found at the three nearby nuclear power plants.
Shinkansen bullet trains and local trains in Kyushu have been suspended for safety reasons, while the runway at Aso Kumamoto Airport is closed, with “no hope of re-operation” according to a notice on the airport's website.
Japan's Defense Ministry said it had sent aircraft to the area to assess the situation.
Kumamoto was hit by a deadly earthquake in 2016 that left more than 50 people dead, 1,800 injured and tens of thousands of houses damaged or destroyed.
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