Tsunami warning issued & evacuations ordered after huge 6.9 magnitude earthquake strikes ‘Ring of Fire’ off Japan coast
JAPAN issued a tsunami advisory after a magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck the country on Monday.
The quake was at a depth of 23 miles and mainly hit the southwestern Kyushu region, said the European Mediterranean Seismological Centre.
Some 11 cities in the Kochi Prefecture were issued with evacuation orders earlier on Monday before the warning was lifted.
The quake struck at 9.19 pm local time (12.19pm GMT), according to the agency.
Tsunami warnings had been issued shortly after for Miyazaki Prefecture, where the temor was centred, in the southwestern island of Kyushu.
According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, the tsunami waves could reach up to one metre.
Read more world news
But the advisory issued for Miyazaki and Kochi prefectures has been lifted on Monday evening Japan time.
Japanese authorities are still urging people working in the sea to exercise caution.
The extent of the earthquake's damage remains unclear as officials continue to monitor the situation closely.
Any tsunami could cause far more damage than the earthquake, as what happened in the horror 2011 wave that hit Fukushima.
Masamasa Sato, chief of the crisis management department of Takanabe Town Hall in Miyazaki Prefecture, said: "The shaking was so strong that it was difficult to stand for about 20 to 30 seconds."
Local authorities are now calling for caution in coastal areas through radio messages.
Cops at the Miyazaki Minami Police Station in Miyazaki City, where the tremor hit, has not yet received any emergency calls regarding damage, Japanese media reports.
An officer on duty said: "First there was a small tremor, and then the lateral tremor got bigger and bigger. Nothing fell or anything."
In Shintomi Town Hall, a security officer described “strong horizontal shaking for about 30 seconds.”
No structural damage has been reported there.
Meanwhile, the Kyushu Electric Power confirmed that the Sendai Nuclear Power Plant in Kagoshima Prefecture, which experienced a seismic intensity of 3, is operating normally.
Officials are assessing the damage as reports continue to come in from the affected areas.
Earthquake hotspot
Japan is frequently hit by earthquakes because of its location along the Ring of Fire, an arc of volcanoes and fault lines in the Pacific Basin.
This region is one of the most geologically active areas on Earth, marked by frequent earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and tsunamis.
Japan’s position at the intersection of four major tectonic plates —the Pacific Plate, the North American Plate, the Eurasian Plate, and the Philippine Sea Plate — makes it particularly susceptible to seismic activity.
These plates are constantly shifting and colliding, creating subduction zones where one plate is forced beneath another.
The frequent subduction of plates not only causes earthquakes but also triggers underwater fault movements that can displace large volumes of water, causing tsunamis.
Japan’s location along the coast of the Pacific Ocean makes it especially vulnerable to these devastating waves.
Throughout history, Japan has experienced catastrophic earthquakes and tsunamis.
One of the most significant recent events was the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, caused by subduction along the Japan Trench.
The magnitude 9.1 earthquake triggered massive tsunami waves that devastated coastal areas, leading to the deaths of over 15,000 people and causing the Fukushima nuclear disaster.
Another major earthquake, the 1995 Kobe earthquake, resulted in widespread destruction and the loss of over 6,000 lives.
To mitigate the effects of these natural disasters, Japan has implemented advanced safety measures.
Seismic-resistant buildings are designed to sway rather than collapse during earthquakes, while early warning systems detect seismic activity and provide residents with crucial seconds to prepare.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
Along the coast, tsunami defence systems, including sea walls and evacuation plans, aim to minimise casualties.
Education programmes also play a key role in making sure that citizens are prepared for emergencies.