A robust 6.8 magnitude earthquake hit southwest Japan on Tuesday afternoon, igniting fires close to its epicenter, reducing energy for tens of hundreds and injuring an unknown variety of individuals, in accordance with Japan’s state broadcaster.
The earthquake struck at 4:27 p.m. native time close to Uto, a coastal metropolis in Kumamoto Prefecture, in accordance with the United States Geological Survey. The company initially reported it as a 7.1-magnitude quake earlier than revising it down.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi stated the authorities had acquired experiences of injury to buildings, roads and bridges. Kumamoto International Airport, which serves the regional capital of the identical identify, stated it was pressured to shut.
Numerous accidents and fires have been reported throughout Kumamoto, the place preliminary experiences of injury gave the impression to be concentrated, in accordance with the general public broadcaster NHK. Its footage from the prefecture confirmed heavy shaking in cities and smoke rising from homes.
The National Weather Service’s Tsunami Warning Center in Honolulu issued a tsunami warning shortly after 4:30 p.m. Japan time, although it stated there was no hazard of a tsunami for Hawaii, the Pacific islands or the West Coast. The tsunami risk had passed by 5:14 p.m. native time, the middle stated.
On Tuesday, the Japan Meteorological Agency initially issued a tsunami advisory for coastal areas across the Ariake and Yatsushiro Seas, however stated it will doubtless elevate the warning shortly. The company warned that earthquakes of the same scale may happen within the subsequent few days.
Kumamoto was hit by a robust collection of earthquakes 10 years in the past that left 278 individuals lifeless throughout the prefecture and surrounding areas.
