Authorities in Japan have issued a tsunami warning for the southern parts of the country, including the islands of Kyushu and Shikoku, following two powerful earthquakes that struck the region on Thursday. The quakes, with magnitudes of 6.9 and 7.1, rattled the area within minutes of each other.
The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) has alerted coastal regions of the southern Japanese islands to prepare for potential tsunami waves. The New York Times reported that the warning was initially broadcasted by Japan’s public broadcaster, NHK, with an expected wave height of up to one meter for Miyazaki, Kochi, and other nearby prefectures.
Shortly after the warning, NHK announced that the first waves had already reached the coast of Miyazaki, with further waves anticipated.
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) confirmed that the first earthquake struck less than 20 miles off the coast of Miyazaki on the island of Kyushu, followed by the more powerful 7.1-magnitude quake just a minute later.
Inside NHK’s offices in Miyazaki, staff reportedly struggled to maintain their footing due to the tremors, but no significant damage was observed. According to the police chief of Nichinan city, no buildings have collapsed in the affected areas.
Meanwhile, the Kyushu Electric Power Company assured the public that its nuclear power plants were operating normally, with no immediate safety concerns reported.
Local authorities and emergency services are closely monitoring the situation as further assessments of the region continue.
