Japan has issued its first mega-quake warning after tremors struck earlier today in the same area where “one of the world’s deadliest earthquakes” struck nearly 80 years ago.
The 7.1 magnitude quake struck off the coast of the southern Japanese island of Kyushu, near the city of Nichinan, at 4:43 p.m. local time.
The Japan Meteorological Agency issued a tsunami warning after the powerful quake. They also took the unprecedented decision to issue a formal warning about a possible “megaquake.”
According to the agency, submarines in the Nankai Trench, where part of the Eurasian tectonic plate meets the Philippine tectonic plate, have determined that the chance of a major earthquake in the region is “relatively higher than normal for the coming week.”
Earthquakes in the Nankai Trough typically occur every 100 to 150 years. The most recent earthquake to hit the area was 78 years ago in December 1946.
The 7.1 magnitude quake struck off the coast of the southern Japanese island of Kyushu, near the city of Nichinan, at 4:43 p.m. local time
People seek shelter outside after the quake. The Japan Meteorological Agency has issued a tsunami warning after the powerful quake
Visitors to the Peace Park crouch as an earthquake warning is issued in Nagasaki. Submarines in the Nankai Trough found that the chance of a major earthquake in the region was ‘relatively higher than normal for the coming week’
The earthquake measured 8.1 and killed 1,300 people.
The Washington Post reported that the tsunami wave is expected to reach a height of only one meter, but that it could grow exponentially. Following the powerful earthquake, bullet trains in the area have been halted while the Japanese government assesses the casualties and damage.
“The first time in my life I felt such a tremor,” a Kyushu resident said as houses and power lines began to shake.
‘Normally I hardly feel it when I’m outside or in the car, but it was shaking so much that I even had a fluttering feeling when I was standing.’
The earthquake was strongest in the city of Nichinan and surrounding areas in Miyazaki Prefecture on Kyushu Island.
Images from Japan today showed lights and wall decorations swaying as the quakes struck.
Broadcaster NHK showed footage of violently shaking traffic lights in Miyazaki on the southeastern coast of Kyushu.
“The surface of the sea is shaking. I felt an intense shock when the earthquake occurred, which lasted between 30 seconds and a minute,” a local official told NHK.
Video footage showed power lines and buildings shaking as the quakes hit land on Kyushu
People evacuate trains in Japan due to today’s earthquakes and widespread cancellations
Others brace themselves in a shopping mall as the tremors disrupt their daily activities
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida wrote on Twitter/X that he had issued instructions in response, and that authorities were gathering information about the damage. “Please remain alert to strong tremors and take action to protect your lives,” he wrote
The broadcaster also reported that three people were injured in Miyazaki, but gave no indication of the severity of their injuries.
The Japan Meteorological Association predicted waves of up to 1 meter high along the southern coast of Kyushu and Shikoku.
The United States Geological Survey initially reported that the first quake was followed by a second quake measuring 7.1 on the Richter scale.
However, this was later ruled out as an error and the agency confirmed that there had only been one quake.
“This error has been resolved. There was one event,” the USGS said.
The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) also reported a single earthquake.
NHK reported that no irregularities were found at Japan’s Sendai nuclear power plant in Kagoshima, echoing the devastating Fukushima nuclear disaster in 2011, when an earthquake cut power supplies.
According to the Nuclear Regulation Authority, all 12 nuclear reactors, including three currently operating, on Kyushu and Shikoku remain safe.
The Japanese government has set up a special task force to respond to the earthquakes, the USGS reports.
Seismologists also held an emergency meeting to analyze whether the quake had any impact on the nearby Nankai Trough, the source of previous devastating earthquakes.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said officials were assessing possible injuries and serious damage, but no reports had been filed yet.
He urged residents of the affected area to stay away from the coastline.
Light fixtures began shaking as authorities told residents to move to higher ground
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida wrote on Twitter/X that he had issued instructions in response and that authorities were collecting information on the damage.
“Stay alert for heavy shaking and take action to protect your life,” he wrote.
At least 260 people were killed on New Year’s Day when a massive earthquake struck the peninsula. Of these, 30 died as a result of the earthquake and also people who died directly from the disaster.
The January 1 earthquake and its aftershocks caused buildings to collapse, fires to break down and infrastructure to fail, just as families were celebrating New Year.
Japan lies on the western edge of the Pacific Ring of Fire and is one of the world’s most earthquake-prone countries.
More than 15,000 people were killed in a magnitude 9 earthquake in 2011, which triggered a devastating tsunami and triple meltdowns at the Fukushima nuclear power plant.