GUWAHATI: A powerful earthquake measuring 7.1 on the Richter scale hit the island of Kyushu in southern Japan on Thursday.
Initial reports had recorded the quake's magnitude as 6.9. The tremor also triggered a tsunami that has reached the western Miyazaki prefecture, according to local media.
The Japan Meteorological Agency reported that the quake's epicenter was off the eastern coast of Kyushu at a depth of approximately 30 kilometers. In response to the earthquake, the Japanese government has established a special task force, as reported by the media. There were no immediate reports of major damage.
Japan, one of the most tectonically active countries globally, enforces stringent building codes to ensure structures can endure even the most powerful earthquakes. The archipelago, with a population of about 125 million, experiences around 1,500 earthquakes annually, most of which are mild. However, the impact varies depending on the location and depth of the quake.
Earlier this year, on New Year's Day, a devastating earthquake claimed the lives of at least 260 people on the peninsula, including 30 deaths directly linked to the quake. The disaster caused buildings to collapse, fires to break out, and significant infrastructure damage during the New Year celebrations.
