Japan rocked by 7.1-magnitude earthquake, buildings collapse and dozens injured

Tokyo (Web Desk) : A powerful 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck Kumamoto Prefecture on Japan’s southern island of Kyushu, causing buildings to collapse and leaving several people injured.

According to international media reports, the Japanese government issued an emergency earthquake alert for several prefectures in southern Kyushu, including Kumamoto, Nagasaki, Kagoshima, Fukuoka, Saga, Oita, and Miyazaki, following the strong tremor.

The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) initially warned of a possible one-metre tsunami, but withdrew the advisory about two hours later after no unusual sea activity was detected.

A JMA spokesperson said the earthquake occurred inland and no tsunami activity had been recorded. As sea conditions returned to normal, all tsunami-related warnings were lifted.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said authorities had received reports of injuries, collapsed buildings, fires at multiple locations, power outages, and damage to infrastructure.

Emergency services remain engaged in rescue operations while officials continue assessing the extent of the destruction.

Kyushu Electric Power Company reported that nearly 40,000 households lost electricity due to the earthquake. Meanwhile, railway operator JR Kyushu temporarily suspended all major rail services, including its high-speed bullet trains, as a precautionary safety measure.

The affected region is also home to manufacturing facilities operated by major global technology companies, including Sony and the world's largest contract chipmaker, TSMC.

Sony confirmed it is assessing conditions at its factories, while TSMC had not issued an immediate statement.

Japan’s nuclear regulatory authority said there were no reports of abnormalities or radiation leaks at nuclear power plants in the affected areas.

Japan lies along the Pacific Ring of Fire, one of the world's most seismically active regions, where around 20 percent of earthquakes with a magnitude of 6.0 or higher occur.

About a decade ago, a devastating earthquake in Kumamoto claimed 275 lives and injured 2,739 people.