An earthquake of magnitude 7.1 took place this Thursday in southwestern Japan, prompting the country’s Meteorological Agency to activate a tsunami warning up to one meter on the Pacific coasts of the region.
The earthquake occurred at 16:43 local time (7:43 GMT) at a depth of 30 kilometers. off the coast of Miyazaki Prefecture, on the southern island of Kyushu, according to the JMA. The quake, whose magnitude was revised from a preliminary estimate, 6.9, reached in the eastern half of Miyazaki the lowest intensity 6 on the seven-step Japanese seismic scale, which measures surface shaking and its destructive potential, and the lowest intensity 5 in the rest of the province and east of neighboring Kagoshima.
The operators of nuclear power plants The status of reactors at the Sendai power plants in Kagoshima and Ikata in Ehime Prefecture is being monitored in the region, but no abnormalities have been reported so far following the earthquake.
There is no evidence at this time that the earthquake has caused significant material damage or casualties. in southwestern Japan, a country with high seismic activity and whose infrastructure is designed to withstand earthquakes, in addition to having tsunami barriers on its coasts.
A tsunami of up to half a meter
The quake triggered a tsunami of up to half a metre that hit the Pacific coast of south-west Japan. 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 they reached 20 centimeters, later reaching 40 cm in the port of Aburatsu, in the same city.
The highest tsunami, half a meter, has been observed in the port of Miyazaki and others measuring 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, no damage has been reported as a result of the phenomenon so far.
About three hours after the earthquake The tsunami warning has been practically lifted in the affected areas, except Miyazaki, where significant tidal changes continued to be observed.
For the moment he has left at least nine minor injuries, while personal and material damages are still being assessed.
Source: Lasexta
Ricardo is a renowned author and journalist, known for his exceptional writing on top-news stories. He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he is known for his ability to deliver breaking news and insightful analysis on the most pressing issues of the day.
