Major earthquake hits part of southern Japan

Quake knocks out power to thousands of homes, triggers tsunami advisory

An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.1 struck Japan's southern Kumamoto prefecture on Tuesday, knocking out power to thousands of homes, stopping rail services and triggering warnings for tsunamis and aftershocks.

The Japanese government issued emergency earthquake warnings for Kumamoto, Nagasaki, Kagoshima, Fukuoka, Saga, Oita, and Miyazaki prefectures, all on Japan's southern Kyushu island. A tsunami warning for a wave measuring one metre was issued after the earthquake, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.

Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, in a message posted on X, urged residents to avoid the coastline where the tsunami was predicted. She said her government has set up a task force to gather information, assess possible damage and prepare for rescue operations if needed.

"We are putting people's lives as the top priority," Takaichi said, urging residents in the strongly-shaken areas to use caution in light of possible strong aftershocks.

Prone to earthquakes

Japan's Fire and Disaster Management Agency said there were no reports of damage to major public facilities and infrastructure in the region, though authorities were still assessing the extent of damage from the quake.

Companies including Sony and TSMC, the world's largest contract chipmaker, have plants in the area of the quake.

A Sony spokesperson said the company was checking the situation. TSMC did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Japan is one of the world's most earthquake-prone countries, with a tremor occurring at least every five minutes. Located along the "Ring of Fire" of volcanoes and oceanic trenches partly encircling the Pacific Basin, Japan accounts for about 20 per cent of the world's earthquakes of magnitude 6.0 or more.

A massive earthquake in Kumamoto 10 years ago killed 275 people and injured a further 2,739, according to an official count.

Kyushu Electric Power said about 40,000 homes had lost power as a result of the quake, while railway company JR Kyushu said that it had suspended services, including its high-speed bullet trains.

There were no irregularities reported at the nuclear power stations in the area, Japan's nuclear regulation authority said.

with files from The Associated Press