Overview
- A preliminary magnitude‑7.1, shallow earthquake struck Kumamoto Prefecture on Tuesday producing the maximum Shindo 7 shaking that signals extremely violent ground motion near the epicentre.
- The Japan Meteorological Agency issued a tsunami warning for parts of Kyushu forecasting up to 1 metre waves and lifted that warning about two hours later after no widespread tsunami was observed.
- Authorities report dozens injured and visible structural damage including collapsed stone walls at Kumamoto Castle, a damaged mall ceiling, cracked roads and localized fires while rescue and inspection teams continue assessments.
- Kyushu Electric Power said about 40,000 households lost power and JR Kyushu suspended rail services including Shinkansen for safety checks while nearby nuclear plants showed no abnormalities, according to regulators.
- The government has urged residents to follow official updates, prepare for more strong aftershocks over the next days and recalled that Kyushu has a recent history of destructive quakes which guides the rapid safety checks now under way.