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A magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck the southwest of Japan, triggering a tsunami advisory, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) on Monday. The warnings urging the public to stay away from coastal regions were later lifted.
Initially, the JMA had estimated the quake’s magnitude at 6.9 but revised it downward. The official magnitude was later adjusted to 6.6 after an initial report of 6.7.
There have been no immediate reports of significant damage. As a precaution, residents in coastal areas were instructed to evacuate.
NHK TV reported one person in Kyushu sustained minor injuries after falling down some stairs. Additionally, train services at Miyazaki Station were temporarily suspended, leaving passengers stranded.
According to NHK, a tsunami of up to 3.2 feet reached the coast within 30 minutes following the earthquake. Water levels measured 8 inches at Miyazaki Port.
Tsunami warnings were issued for Miyazaki Prefecture, where the earthquake originated, and nearby Kochi Prefecture on Shikoku Island shortly after the quake at 9:19 p.m. The advisories were lifted before midnight.
The U.S. Geological Survey later revised the earthquake’s magnitude down to 6.9 and stated that there was no tsunami threat to the United States.
Despite the revision, the JMA continued to advise the public to avoid coastal waters, cautioning that tsunamis can occur repeatedly. “Please stay away from the sea and coastal areas,” the agency emphasized on social media.
Shigeki Aoki, a JMA official, also warned of potential landslides and falling debris in homes. Aftershocks may occur, particularly over the next two to three days.
The quake, with a depth of 18.6 miles, affected a wide region in Kyushu, Japan’s southwestern main island.
Footage from NHK showed well-lit streets and moving traffic, indicating that power remained intact. No issues were reported at the monitoring stations of nearby nuclear plants.
Japan, located along the “Ring of Fire,” regularly experiences earthquakes due to its proximity to a network of volcanoes and fault lines in the Pacific.
Meteorological experts held a meeting late Monday to assess whether this earthquake could be linked to the Nankai Trough, an area known for periodic major quakes. However, no immediate extraordinary measures were deemed necessary. The Nankai Trough is known for a significant quake in 1946 off Shikoku, which claimed over 1,300 lives.
In August, a strong earthquake struck off southern Japan, causing only minor injuries but raising concerns about future major quakes in the region. On January 1, 2024, another earthquake in Japan’s Noto region resulted in more than 240 fatalities.
Japan has strict building codes designed to withstand powerful earthquakes, and the country routinely conducts emergency drills in preparation for future seismic events.
The memory of the devastating 9.0-magnitude earthquake in March 2011, which caused a massive tsunami and resulted in nearly 18,500 deaths or disappearances, still looms large. The disaster also led to the Fukushima nuclear plant meltdown, Japan’s most severe post-war disaster and the worst nuclear incident since Chernobyl.
In March 2022, another major earthquake, measuring 7.4 in magnitude, struck off the coast of Fukushima, killing three people.
A century ago, in 1923, Tokyo experienced a catastrophic earthquake that devastated the capital.
This report also includes contributions from Agence France-Presse.
