Nicolai Haugsted
Southern Japan struck by powerful quake as authorities warn of tsunami and aftershocks.
A powerful earthquake shook large parts of Kyushu, Japan, disrupting transport, cutting electricity to tens of thousands of homes and prompting authorities to issue tsunami and aftershock warnings.
According to Reuters, Japanese officials said the quake registered a preliminary magnitude of 7.1 and struck Kumamoto Prefecture on Tuesday, with tremors felt across several neighboring regions.
Power outages and rail services halted
The earthquake caused widespread disruption across Kyushu.
Kyushu Electric Power reported that roughly 40,000 households lost electricity following the quake, while railway operator JR Kyushu suspended multiple train services, including its high-speed Shinkansen bullet trains.
Emergency earthquake alerts were issued for Kumamoto, Nagasaki, Kagoshima, Fukuoka, Saga, Oita and Miyazaki prefectures as authorities urged residents to remain alert for further seismic activity.
Japan’s Meteorological Agency also issued a tsunami warning for waves of up to one meter.
Several major manufacturers operate facilities in the affected region, including Sony and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), the world’s largest contract chipmaker.
A Sony spokesperson said the company was assessing conditions at its operations following the earthquake. TSMC did not immediately comment on the situation.
Nuclear facilities unaffected
Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority said no abnormalities had been detected at nuclear power plants in the affected area following the quake.
Authorities nevertheless warned that aftershocks remain possible as emergency crews continue to assess damage across the region.
Japan experiences frequent seismic activity due to its location along the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” where several tectonic plates meet.
According to Japanese authorities, the country accounts for roughly 20 percent of the world’s earthquakes measuring magnitude 6.0 or higher.
Memories also remain fresh of the devastating Kumamoto earthquakes a decade ago, which claimed 275 lives and left another 2,739 people injured, according to official figures.
