A tsunami of up to half a meter A strong earthquake of magnitude 7.1 hit the Pacific coast of southwestern Japan on Thursday, leaving at least two people slightly injured, while personal and material damages are still being assessed.

The quake occurred at 16:43 local time (7.43 GMT) at a depth of 30 kilometers in the Hyuga Sea, off the coast of Miyazaki Prefecture, on the southern island of Kyushu, according to details from the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), which activated a tsunami warning of up to one meter. in areas close to the epicentereither.

The first waves of the tsunami were detected at 17:01 (8:01 GMT) in the port of the city of Nichinan, opposite the epicenter, where it reached 20 centimeters, later reaching 40 cm in the port of Aburatsu, in the same city.

The highest tsunami, half a metre, was observed in the port of Miyazaki and other 30 centimetres were recorded in the city of Tosashimizu, Kochi prefecture, on the neighbouring island of Shikoku; in the port of Shibushi, in Kagoshima (Kyushu) and in the city of Minamiosumi, in the same province, among other locations, without any warning for the moment. damage has been reported due to the phenomenon.

About three hours after the earthquake the tsunami warning was practically lifted in the affected areas, except Miyazaki, whereSignificant changes continued to be observed of the tide.

The quake measured 6 or below on Japan’s seven-step earthquake scale, which measures surface shaking and its destructive potential, in the eastern prefecture, and 5 or below in neighboring Kagoshima.

The authorities continued hours later assessing the scale of the damage caused by the earthquake, which has left at least two injured, two women who hit their heads and backs as a result of the tremor and who suffered minor injuries, according to the most recent report provided by the Japanese public broadcaster NHK.

In the town of Nichinan, a rockfall and fallen power poles, Traffic on certain roads has been regulated. Due to the quake, local train lines in Miyazaki and Kagoshima have also been suspended, and sections of highways in the area have been closed for inspections.

In the town of Osaki in Kagoshima, an old wooden house collapsed, with no injuries reported in the incident, and reports of collapsed walls and damaged roads.

In Kushima City, Miyazaki, authorities received reports of damaged and leaking pipes, and there could be more damage to other infrastructure, as assessment continues. nuclear power plant operators In the region, they reported that no abnormalities or damage were detected in the reactors at the Sendai power plants in Kagoshima and Ikata in Ehime.

Residents of the affected areas took to social media to share images of merchandise scattered in shops and shelves overturned in homes due to the earthquake. It is expected that more information will be known about the extent of the damage in the coming hours, especially as daylight approaches.

The experts They are warning of possible aftershocks in the coming days and the JMA has warned that today’s earthquake appears to be related to a future earthquake of greater magnitude in the Nankai Trough, one of the most seismically active spots in the world and where they predict that there will be a strong earthquake in the coming decades.

The entity has asked that extreme precautions be taken and disaster prevention measures are taken, The warning is the first time that the country has issued a warning of this nature, as it is considered that the possibility of a large-scale earthquake with its epicentre in the trench, which extends from the Kanto area, where Tokyo is located, to Kyushu, is relatively higher than usual.

Japan sits on the so-called Ring of Fire, one of the most active seismic zones in the world, and suffers earthquakes relatively frequently, so its infrastructure is specially designed to withstand tremors.