Japan rocked by magnitude 7.1 quake, tsunami alert issued

Tokyo, July 28 – A powerful earthquake struck Kyushu on Tuesday, registering a magnitude of 7.1 on the global scale. The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) promptly released a tsunami warning for the coastal zones of Ariake Bay and the Yatsushiro Sea, urging residents to stay away from beaches and low‑lying areas. Officials warned that the first wave could reach the shoreline within minutes, with additional waves expected later in the day.

The epicentre was identified near the city of Uki in Kumamoto prefecture at a depth of roughly 10 kilometres. The strongest shaking was recorded in Kumamoto’s Minami Ward, Yatsushiro, and Uto cities where the JMA logged a Shindo level of 6.

More than 45,600 households experienced power cuts across the prefecture. Kyushu Electric is deploying repair crews around the clock, giving priority to hospitals and emergency shelters. The tremor occurs about a decade after the 2016 Kumamoto disasters that killed 278 people and caused extensive damage to historic sites.