Strong Quake Jolts Kumamoto in Southwestern Japan

Tokyo, July 28 (Jiji Press)–A powerful earthquake hit Kumamoto Prefecture in southwestern Japan at around 4:27 p.m. on Tuesday, measuring up to 7, the highest level on the Japanese seismic intensity scale, in the city of Uki and the town of Hikawa. The quake struck at a depth of about 10 kilometers and had an estimated magnitude of 7.1, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. The agency issued a tsunami advisory for areas facing the Ariake and Yatsushiro seas in Kumamoto, Fukuoka, Saga and Nagasaki prefectures. About 48,280 households in Kumamoto were hit by a blackout as of 5:30 p.m., and some areas in Oita Prefecture also suffered from a power outage, Kyushu Electric Power Transmission and Distribution Co. said. According to the Nuclear Regulation Authority, no abnormalities were reported at Kyushu Electric Power Co.’s Genkai nuclear power plant in Saga, its Sendai nuclear power plant in Kagoshima Prefecture, or Shikoku Electric Power Co.’s Ikata nuclear power plant in Ehime Prefecture. In Tokyo, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi ordered related ministries and government agencies to assess the damage from the earthquake and to expedite rescue efforts for those affected. In an X post, she also called on people to “remain vigilant for earthquakes of the same level in areas where the tremor was strong.” In 2016, Kumamoto was hit by a 6.5-magnitude quake on April 14 and a 7.3-magnitude quake two days later. Both quakes registered 7 on the Japanese intensity scale. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]