A powerful 6.8 magnitude earthquake hit southwest Japan on Tuesday afternoon, igniting fires near its epicenter, damaging buildings and highways, and injuring at least 50 people, according to Japan’s public broadcaster.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said the earthquake struck around 4.27 p.m. local time in Kumamoto Prefecture on Kyushu island, the southernmost of Japan’s main islands, with initial reports of damage emerging from across the region.
Aerial footage taken by the public broadcaster NHK showed severe damage to an elevated section of the Kyushu Expressway as other footage showed a partially collapsed wall at Kumamoto Castle, a famed local landmark. Ms. Takaichi said the authorities were trying to assess the severity as they received reports of damage to buildings and bridges.
The earthquake’s epicenter was near Uto, a coastal city in Kumamoto Prefecture, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The agency initially reported it as a 7.1-magnitude quake before revising it down.
Local transportation links were affected by the force of the quake, potentially complicating rescue efforts. Train services on Kyushu island were suspended and Kumamoto International Airport, which serves the regional capital of the same name, said it had to close.
Injuries and fires were reported across Kumamoto, where initial reports of damage appeared to be concentrated, according to NHK. Its footage from the prefecture showed heavy shaking in cities and smoke rising from houses.
The National Weather Service’s Tsunami Warning Center in Honolulu issued a tsunami warning shortly after 4:30 p.m. Japan time, though it said there was no danger of a tsunami for Hawaii, the Pacific islands or the West Coast. The tsunami threat had passed by 5:14 p.m. local time, the center said.
There were no reports of abnormalities at the Sendai Nuclear Power Plant, which is in Kagoshima prefecture, near Kumamoto, Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said in a news briefing. The power plant has two nuclear reactors and supplies electricity to the Kyushu region.
On Tuesday, the Japan Meteorological Agency initially issued a tsunami advisory for coastal areas around the Ariake and Yatsushiro Seas but said it was likely to lift the warning quickly. The agency warned that earthquakes of a similar scale could occur in the next few days.
Here’s what else we’re covering.
-
Seismic history: The earthquake evoked painful memories for residents of Kumamoto, which was hit by a powerful series of earthquakes 10 years ago that killed 278 people across the prefecture and surrounding areas.
-
Tsunami warnings lifted: After initially warning that the earthquake could trigger a tsunami, the Japan Meteorological Agency lifted its tsunami advisories at around 6.10 p.m. local time.
