By Oluwakemi Kindness
Japan has issued a tsunami alert after a powerful 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck the southwestern island of Kyushu on Tuesday, cutting power to thousands of homes.
The quake hit at 4:27 pm local time and registered the highest level, seven, on Japan’s Shindo intensity scale, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.
Authorities warned that tsunami waves of up to one metre could reach parts of the coast. Public broadcaster NHK reported that waves of that height may already have been recorded.
The earthquake knocked out electricity to about 45,000 homes and facilities in the Kumamoto region, local utility Kyushu Electric Power said.
Despite the strong shaking, Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority said no abnormalities had been detected at nuclear power plants. Kyushu Electric also confirmed that three operating nuclear reactors in the region continued to function normally.
A live NHK reporter described the tremor as so intense that standing was difficult, adding that aftershocks were still being felt about 30 minutes later.
Japan sits on the Pacific “Ring of Fire” and is among the world’s most earthquake-prone countries.
The country experiences hundreds of earthquakes every year and remains vulnerable to major seismic events, including the devastating 2011 earthquake and tsunami that triggered the Fukushima nuclear disaster.
