7.1 earthquake hits Japan’s Kyushu, injuring dozens

A powerful earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.1 struck Kumamoto Prefecture on Japan's southern island of Kyushu on Tuesday afternoon, injuring at least 50 people, knocking out power to tens of thousands of homes, and briefly triggering a tsunami advisory across the region.

Quake Strikes at Highest Intensity

The earthquake hit at 4:27 p.m. local time, registering at the maximum level 7 on Japan's Shindo seismic intensity scale, with the epicenter located near Uki City at a shallow depth of about 10 kilometers, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. At least 50 people were hospitalized, Japan's public broadcaster NHK reported, and 12 houses collapsed, trapping four people inside damaged buildings. A second tremor of magnitude 6.1 followed roughly 45 minutes later.abc+3

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi confirmed the scale of the damage in remarks to the press. "Power outages and fires have occurred in some areas, and there has also been damage to roads and bridges and the collapse of buildings," she said, urging residents to evacuate to safe locations. Television footage showed fires burning in residential areas, a derailed cargo train, cracked roads, and damaged bridges.lemonde+1

Tsunami Advisory Lifted, Nuclear Plants Safe

The JMA issued a tsunami advisory for the coasts of the Ariake Sea and Yatsushiro Sea, warning of waves of up to one meter. The advisory was lifted just under two hours later after no tsunami activity was observed. More than 150,000 people were instructed to report to evacuation centers, according to Japan's disaster management agency.abcnews+2

Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority confirmed no abnormalities at three nearby nuclear power plants, and Kyushu Electric Power said three reactors in the region continued normal operations. However, approximately 40,000 to 45,000 households lost power in the Kumamoto area.cnbc+3

Widespread Disruption

JR Kyushu Railway Company suspended all services, including Shinkansen bullet train lines, for safety checks. Kumamoto Airport shut its runway, with airlines diverting and canceling flights. Telecoms operators KDDI and NTT Docomo reported disruptions to mobile phone services due to power shortages. The JMA warned residents to prepare for further strong quakes over the coming week and cautioned about landslide risks.nytimes+1

The quake struck the same region devastated a decade ago, when a 2016 earthquake in Kumamoto killed 275 people and injured more than 2,700.reuters+1