Japan’s coast hit by two strong earthquakes of up to 7.1 on the Richter scale

A 6.9-magnitude earthquake, followed by a 7.1-magnitude earthquake, struck southern Japan on Thursday, the United States Geological Survey said, with the local weather service warning of a tsunami that could hit coastal areas.

Tsunamis of up to one meter were expected to reach or have reached some coastal areas on the islands of Kyushu and Shikoku, broadcaster NHK reported.

“Tsunami will strike repeatedly. Do not enter the sea or approach the coast until the warning is lifted,” the Japan Meteorological Agency told X.

There were no immediate reports of damage.

The USGS said the first quake struck at 4:42 p.m. (0742 GMT) at a depth of 33 kilometers, about 29 kilometers southeast of Miyazaki in Kyushu.

The second struck less than a minute later at a depth of 26 meters and was located 20 kilometers northeast of Miyazaki.

The Japanese government has set up a special task force in response to the earthquakes, according to a statement.

Sitting on four major tectonic plates along the western edge of the Pacific ‘Ring of Fire’, Japan is one of the most tectonically active countries in the world.

The archipelago, home to about 125 million people, experiences about 1,500 tremors each year and is responsible for about 18 percent of the world’s earthquakes.

The vast majority of them are mild, although the damage they cause varies depending on their location and the depth below the Earth’s surface at which they strike.

However, even large earthquakes usually cause little damage thanks to special construction techniques and strict building regulations in the world’s number four economy.

On New Year’s Day, at least 260 people died after a massive earthquake hit the peninsula, including 30 earthquake-related deaths as well as those killed directly in the disaster.

The January 1 earthquake and its aftershocks destroyed buildings, sparked fires and overturned infrastructure at a time when families were celebrating the New Year.

Japan has strict building regulations meant to ensure buildings can withstand strong earthquakes, and regularly holds emergency drills to prepare for a major tremor.

But the country is haunted by the memory of a massive 9.0-magnitude undersea earthquake off northeastern Japan in March 2011 that triggered a tsunami that left an estimated 18,500 dead or missing.

The 2011 tsunami also led to the collapse of three reactors at the Fukushima nuclear power plant, causing Japan’s worst post-war disaster and the worst nuclear accident since Chernobyl.

In March 2022, a magnitude 7.4 earthquake off the coast of Fukushima shook large areas of eastern Japan, killing three people.

The capital Tokyo was devastated by a massive earthquake a century ago in 1923.