Powerful earthquake hits off Japan; tsunami advisory issued
Tokyo: A powerful earthquake struck off Japan’s southern coast on Thursday, triggering a tsunami advisory that urged residents to stay away from the coastline. Three people were injured but there were no reports of serious damage.
The Japan Meteorological Agency said the quake registered magnitude 7.1 and was centred in waters off the eastern coast of Japan’s southern main island of Kyushu at a depth of about 30 kilometres (18.6 miles).
The quake most strongly shook Nichinan city and nearby areas in Miyazaki prefecture on Kyushu island.
The agency said tsunami waves of up to 50 centimetres (1.6 feet) were detected along parts of Kyushu’s southern coast and the nearby island of Shikoku about a half hour after the quake struck. The tsunami advisory was lifted from most coastlines except those along the Miyazaki prefecture.
Seismologists at the agency held an emergency meeting to analyse whether the quake had affected the nearby Nankai Trough, the source of past devastating earthquakes. They later issued an assessment that the potential for a future quake in the area from Kyushu to central Japan is higher than previously predicted. The agency said it will continue to closely watch movements of plates near the Nankai Trough.
That does not mean there’s an imminent danger of a big quake in the near future, but they urged residents on the coasts along the trough -- which spans about 500 kilometres (310 miles) -- to review their quake preparedness, University of Tokyo seismologist Naoshi Hirata, a member of an expert panel, told a joint news conference with JMA officials.
There is a 70-80% chance of a magnitude 8 or 9 quake stemming from the Nankai Trough within the next 30 years, Hirara said, adding that Thursday’s quake raises that probability even while the timing or exact location cannot be predicted.
The Fire and Disaster Management Agency said three people were injured in Thursday’s quake. Two of them fell down when the quake struck and another was hit by a falling object.
