A preliminary magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck Japan’s southern Kumamoto Prefecture on Tuesday, causing power outages for thousands of homes, disrupting transportation, and prompting evacuation orders and warnings of possible aftershocks.
Speaking to reporters in Tokyo, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said authorities were assessing the extent of casualties and damage.
“We have already been informed that people have been injured,” Takaichi said.
“In some areas, there have been power outages and fires, as well as damage to roads and bridges and collapsed buildings. Above all, I ask everyone to take measures to protect themselves, including evacuating to a safe location.”
Japan’s public broadcaster NHK showed images of buildings on fire or collapsed, large cracks along roads, including elevated highways, and a freight train that had derailed. More than 150,000 people were instructed to move to evacuation centers, according to disaster management authorities.
TSMC, the world’s largest contract chip manufacturer, evacuated workers from its nearby factory as a precautionary measure. Electronics company Sony, which also operates a facility in the area, said it was assessing the situation.
Residents in areas that experienced the strongest shaking were warned to remain alert for possible strong aftershocks for about a week, as well as the risk of landslides, according to officials from the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA).
Trains suspended, airport closed
The Japanese government issued emergency earthquake warnings for Kumamoto, Nagasaki, Kagoshima, Fukuoka, Saga, Oita, and Miyazaki prefectures, all located on the southern island of Kyushu.
The JMA initially issued a tsunami advisory for waves up to one meter but later lifted it.
Japan is one of the world’s most earthquake-prone countries, located along the “Ring of Fire”, a region of volcanoes and ocean trenches surrounding much of the Pacific Ocean. The country accounts for around 20% of the world’s earthquakes of magnitude 6.0 or higher.
Kyushu Electric Power reported that around 40,000 homes lost electricity following the earthquake, while JR Kyushu suspended services, including high-speed trains. Kumamoto Airport also temporarily closed its runway as airlines diverted or canceled flights.
Telecommunications operators KDDI and Docomo reported disruptions to mobile services due to power failures and transmission line issues.
Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority said no abnormalities were reported at nuclear facilities in the affected area.
A major earthquake that struck Kumamoto 10 years ago killed 275 people and injured 2,739 others, while damaging thousands of buildings, including the city’s historic castle, a popular tourist site.
