A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck Kumamoto Prefecture in the Kyushu region on Tuesday, registering up to shindo 7, the highest level on the Japanese seismic intensity scale.
The weather agency issued a tsunami advisory for coastal areas of the Ariake and Yatsushiro seas, urging people to stay away from the coast.
The first tsunami wave was believed to have arrived in those seas shortly after the quake. More waves were expected to arrive soon.
A strong 6 on the shindo scale was observed in the cities of Yatsuhiro, Uto and the towns of Mashiki and Misato, as well as the city of Kumamoto’s Minami Ward.
The epicenter and seismic intensity of Tuesday’s earthquake is shown on a weather agency map.
| Japan Meteorological Agency
Other cities in Kumamoto, as well as the neighboring prefectures of Nagasaki, Kagoshima, Fukuoka, Saga and Miyazaki, also felt strong shaking of a lower 5 or stronger on the Japanese scale.
The quake’s epicenter was in the city of Uki, just south of the city of Kumamoto, at a depth of 10 kilometers.
Electricity was out for about 45,600 households in Kumamoto Prefecture, according to Kyushu Electric.
A tsunami advisory was issued for the Ariake and Yatsushiro sea areas, shown in yellow on a weather agency map.
| Japan Meteorological Agency
The quake comes just over 10 years after two separate earthquakes rocked the city of Kumamoto in April 2016, leaving 278 people dead and injuring another 2,800.
Kumamoto Castle sustained heavy damage in the quakes and restoration work is not due to be completed until 2052.
This is a developing story. Updates to follow.
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