Magnitude 7.1 quake in Japan leaves several injured

What the report says

BBC World News reported that a magnitude 7.1 earthquake hit Japan’s south-western Kumamoto prefecture, injuring several people and leading authorities to issue a tsunami advisory that was withdrawn within an hour. The quake struck inland on Kyushu island at 16:27 local time, or 07:27 GMT, and the Japan Meteorological Agency cautioned that the shallow 10km epicentre raised the risk of strong aftershocks.

According to the BBC report, more than 150,000 residents were told to relocate to evacuation shelters after the shaking. Footage shown by NHK, Japan’s public broadcaster, showed damage including cracked roads and bridges, as well as fires at some buildings. NHK also reported that around 10 injured people were at an elderly care facility and that at least 50 people were receiving hospital treatment.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said officials were still working to determine the scale of injuries and damage, while Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said emergency personnel had been sent in, including the Self-Defence Forces, fire services and the coast guard. Train services were suspended and power was cut to thousands of homes, the BBC said.

The event matters because Japan is highly exposed to seismic hazards, lying on the Pacific Ring of Fire. The BBC noted that the country records roughly 1,500 earthquakes each year and recalled past major quakes, including the 2011 disaster off eastern Japan that generated a devastating tsunami.