Tsunami alert lifted after magnitude 6.6 earthquake rattles southwestern Japan

A tsunami warning was issued in southwestern Japan on Monday following a 6.6 magnitude earthquake. Authorities later lifted the warning that had urged people to stay away from coastal areas. The initial estimate for the earthquake's magnitude was 6.9, but it was subsequently revised to 6.6. An official initially told reporters that the magnitude had been reduced to 6.7, but the agency then issued a statement revising the magnitude to 6.6.

There have been no reports of damage so far. As a precaution, residents in some coastal areas were told to evacuate. According to NHK television, a man in Kyushu suffered minor injuries after falling down stairs. Train services at Miyazaki station were suspended, causing passengers to be stranded. NHK said that a tsunami estimated to be up to 1 meter (3.2 feet) reached land within 30 minutes of the earthquake. Reports indicated that a water height of 20 centimeters (0.7 feet) was detected at the port of Miyazaki.

The tsunami warning was issued shortly after the quake for Miyazaki prefecture, the location of the epicenter on the southwestern island of Kyushu, as well as Kagawa prefecture near the island of Shikoku. According to the agency, the earthquake struck at 9:19 p.m. All warnings were lifted shortly before midnight. People were warned to stay away from the water, including rivers. Agency official Shigeki Aoki told reporters that people should be aware of landslides and falling objects in their homes. He indicated that aftershocks were possible, especially over the next two or three days.

The Japan Meteorological Agency said that the earthquake had a depth of 36 kilometers (22 miles) and shook a wide area of the southwestern main island of Kyushu. The agency initially gave a depth of 30 kilometers (18.6 miles). Footage from NHK television showed traffic moving normally and street lights on, indicating that power supplies were still functioning. Monitoring stations at the various nuclear power plants in the area have not detected any problems.

Japan is frequently struck by earthquakes because of its location along the “Ring of Fire,” an arc of volcanoes and fault lines in the Pacific Basin. Experts from the Meteorological Agency met later on Monday to assess what connection the latest earthquake may have with the so-called Nankai Trough earthquake, but decided not to take any special measures for the time being. The term refers to a vast area that is considered prone to periodic major earthquakes. In 1946, a Nankai Trough earthquake off the coast of Shikoku killed more than 1,300 people. The region experienced a 7.1 magnitude earthquake last August.