A tsunami advisory was issued for parts of southwest Japan after a 6.6 magnitude earthquake struck on Monday night but was lifted a few hours later. Minor damage and one minor injury were reported.
Japan’s Meteorological Agency (JMA) initially recorded the
earthquake as a magnitude 6.9 but later revised it to 6.6. The quake hit at
9:19 p.m., with its center located at a depth of 36 kilometers (22 miles) near
the Miyazaki prefecture on the island of Kyushu.
One man in Kyushu was slightly injured after falling down
some stairs, according to NHK TV. The quake also caused a small landslide that
blocked a road and burst some underground water pipes.
NHK reported that a small tsunami, reaching up to 1 meter
(3.2 feet), was expected to hit the coast within 30 minutes of the quake. At
Miyazaki Port, waves reached 20 centimeters (0.7 feet) high.
Tsunami advisories were issued for the Miyazaki and Kochi
prefectures but were lifted before midnight after no significant waves were
detected.
An official from the Meteorological Agency, Shigeki Aoki,
warned that aftershocks are likely over the next few days and urged people to
remain cautious.
Despite the strong shaking, there were no reports of power
outages, and nuclear plants in the region reported no issues. Footage from NHK
showed that streetlights and traffic signals remained on, and traffic continued
to flow normally.
Japan is located in a seismically active zone known as the
“Ring of Fire,” which makes it prone to frequent earthquakes. Experts at the
meteorological agency held an emergency meeting to determine if this quake was
connected to the Nankai Trough, an area known for major periodic quakes.
However, they decided that no additional precautions were necessary at this
time.
The Nankai Trough has a history of powerful quakes,
including a 7.1 magnitude earthquake last year and a devastating 1946 quake
that killed over 1,300 people.
Residents have been urged to remain alert and prepared for
possible aftershocks in the coming days.
