Japan has lifted a tsunami alert issued after a powerful earthquake struck the country’s southwest on Tuesday.
The Japan Meteorological Agency removed the warning from its website less than two hours after the 7.1-magnitude quake hit the island of Kyushu. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said the earthquake caused several injuries, building collapses and fires.
The tremor struck at 4:27pm local time (0727 GMT) and registered the highest possible level seven on Japan’s Shindo intensity scale, which measures the strength of shaking rather than the magnitude of the quake.
The agency had earlier warned that waves of up to one metre could reach affected coastal areas at around 5:00pm (0800 GMT), but the alert was later cancelled.
The Nuclear Regulation Authority said no immediate issues were reported at nuclear facilities, while Kyushu Electric Power confirmed that three operating reactors in the region continued normal operations.
The latest quake follows a magnitude 7.2 earthquake that struck northern Japan on 25 June, which caused no deaths or major damage.
via TRT News
