Strong tremors off Japan’s coast triggers major earthquake and tsunami warning

A powerful earthquake struck southern Japan on Thursday, causing minor injuries and raising concerns about more potential quakes.

Officials said nine people were injured, by falling or being hit by objects, on the island of Kyushu but that injuries were mostly minor and there were no reports of serious damage.

The Japan Meteorological Agency said the quake registered a 7.1 magnitude and was centred about 19 miles below the sea surface.

Tsunami waves of up to 50cm were detected along parts of Kyushu’s southern coast and the nearby island of Shikoku about a half hour after the quake struck, the agency added.

The earthquake led seismologists to hold an emergency meeting, in which they increased the risk level of major quakes.

An assessment later revealed that the potential for a future earthquake in the Kyushu to central Japan area to strike was "higher than previously predicted."

Seismologist Naoshi Hirata from the University of Tokyo said the assessment does not indicate an imminent danger of a major earthquake in the near future, but advised residents living on the coasts to review their earthquake preparedness.

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There is a 70-80% chance of a magnitude 8 or 9 quake stemming from the Nankai Trough within the next 30 years, Hirata said.

He emphasised that while the timing or exact location cannot be predicted, Thursday's quake raises the probability of another quake. He urged residents to maintain high caution levels for at least a week.

Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told reporters that the government crisis management team will step up disaster preparedness, and called on residents to pay close attention to information from the authorities and not to spread disinformation.

JMA Seismology Department official Shigeki Aoki warned that strong aftershocks could occur for about a week.

The Nuclear Regulation Authority said all 12 nuclear reactors, including three which are currently operating in Kyushu and Shikoku, remained safe. Earthquakes in areas with nuclear power plants have been a major concern since Japan's massive earthquake and tsunami in March 2011, which triggered the Fukushima nuclear disaster.

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