A powerful 6.8 magnitude earthquake hit southwest Japan on Tuesday afternoon, igniting fires near its epicenter, cutting power for tens of thousands and injuring an unknown number of people, according to Japan’s state broadcaster.
The earthquake struck at 4:27 p.m. local time near Uto, a coastal city in Kumamoto Prefecture, according to the United States Geological Survey. The agency initially reported it as a 7.1-magnitude quake before revising it down.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said the authorities had received reports of damage to buildings, roads and bridges. Kumamoto International Airport, which serves the regional capital of the same name, said it was forced to close.
Numerous injuries and fires were reported across Kumamoto, where initial reports of damage appeared to be concentrated, according to the public broadcaster NHK. Its footage from the prefecture showed heavy shaking in cities and smoke rising from houses.
The National Weather Service’s Tsunami Warning Center in Honolulu issued a tsunami warning shortly after 4:30 p.m. Japan time, though it said there was no danger of a tsunami for Hawaii, the Pacific islands or the West Coast. The tsunami threat had passed by 5:14 p.m. local time, the center said.
On Tuesday, the Japan Meteorological Agency initially issued a tsunami advisory for coastal areas around the Ariake and Yatsushiro Seas, but said it would likely lift the warning quickly. The agency warned that earthquakes of a similar scale could occur in the next few days.
Kumamoto was hit by a powerful series of earthquakes 10 years ago that left 278 people dead across the prefecture and surrounding areas.
