Magnitude 7.1 quake hits Japan, tsunami warning issued

A powerful earthquake measuring magnitude 7.1 struck the island of Kyushu in southern Japan on Thursday (August 8).

Japanese public broadcaster NHK had earlier reported the quake’s preliminary magnitude as 6.9.

The earthquakes also triggered a tsunami, which has reached the western Miyazaki prefecture, according to NHK.

According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, the quake was centred off the eastern coast of Japan’s southern main island of Kyushu at a depth of about 30 kilometres.

The Japanese government has set up a special task force in response to the quakes, AFP reported, citing a statement. There were no immediate signs of major damage, according to the agency.

Japan, one of the world’s most tectonically active countries, has strict building standards designed to ensure structures can withstand even the most powerful earthquakes.

The archipelago, home to around 125 million people, experiences around 1,500 jolts every year. The vast majority of them are mild, although the damage they cause varies according to their location and the depth below the Earth’s surface at which they strike.