Japanese authorities lifted a tsunami alert after a magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck Kyushu, disrupting power and transport services. No deaths, injuries or major damage had been reported as of the latest official updates.

Tsunami warning following a magnitude 7.1 earthquake in Japan's Kyushu region, where power outages and rail disruptions were reported.

A strong earthquake disrupted power and rail services in southwestern Japan, but authorities reported no major damage or casualties.

Japanese authorities lifted a tsunami alert on Tuesday after a powerful preliminary magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck the southwestern island of Kyushu, cutting power to about 40,000 households, halting rail services and triggering emergency warnings across the region.

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The earthquake struck at 4:27 p.m. local time (07:27 GMT) and registered the maximum intensity of 7 on Japan’s Shindo seismic scale, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA).

The JMA initially warned that tsunami waves of up to one meter could reach coastal areas around 5:00 p.m. local time (08:00 GMT). Public broadcaster NHK reported that waves of that height may have reached parts of the coastline shortly after the warning was issued. Authorities later lifted the tsunami alert.

Cameras capture the moment a 7.1-magnitude earthquake hits southwestern Japan, knocking out power to thousands of households.

The earthquake registers the highest possible level on Japan’s Shindo seismic intensity scale, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency, and… pic.twitter.com/1uafObjziF

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Emergency earthquake warnings were issued for the Kyushu prefectures of Kumamoto, Nagasaki, Kagoshima, Fukuoka, Saga, Oita and Miyazaki.

Authorities had reported no deaths, injuries or significant structural damage as of the latest updates.

The quake disrupted critical infrastructure across the region. Kyushu Electric Power said about 40,000 households lost electricity, while railway operator JR Kyushu suspended all train services, including high-speed bullet trains.

Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority said no abnormalities had been detected at nuclear power plants in the affected area.

The earthquake also affected major manufacturers with operations in the region. Sony said it was assessing conditions at its facilities, while Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), the world’s largest contract chipmaker, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Japan experienced another strong earthquake on June 25, when a magnitude 7.2 tremor struck the country’s north without causing fatalities or significant damage.

Located along the western edge of the Pacific Ring of Fire, Japan is among the world’s most seismically active countries. It accounts for about 20% of all earthquakes measuring magnitude 6.0 or greater and experiences hundreds of earthquakes each year.

Memories of the magnitude 9.0 undersea earthquake and tsunami that struck in 2011, leaving about 18,500 people dead or missing and triggering the Fukushima nuclear accident, continue to shape the country’s disaster preparedness. More recently, a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck northern Japan on April 20, injuring at least 10 people and prompting authorities to issue a week-long advisory warning of an elevated risk of earthquakes measuring magnitude 8.0 or higher.

Kumamoto Prefecture, one of the areas affected by Tuesday’s quake, was also devastated by a major earthquake a decade ago that killed 275 people and injured 2,739, according to official figures.

From teleSUR English via This RSS Feed.