A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck southern Japan's Kumamoto Prefecture on Tuesday, but Sri Lanka faces no tsunami risk from the event, according to local authorities.
A powerful earthquake measuring 7.1 in magnitude struck Kumamoto Prefecture in Japan's Kyushu region on Tuesday, with the epicenter located in the city of Uki at a depth of 10 kilometers. The tremor registered at shindo 7—the highest level on Japan's seismic intensity scale—in parts of the affected region.
Japanese authorities issued a tsunami advisory for coastal areas near the Ariake and Yatsushiro seas, instructing residents to avoid the coast as initial waves arrived shortly after the quake. Officials anticipated additional tsunami waves in the hours following the initial tremor.
The earthquake's impact was felt across a wide area of southwestern Japan. Strong shaking rated at shindo 6 was recorded in Yatsushiro, Uto, Mashiki, Misato, and Kumamoto's Minami Ward. Neighboring prefectures including Nagasaki, Kagoshima, Fukuoka, Saga, and Miyazaki also experienced significant seismic activity at lower intensity levels.
Despite the earthquake's magnitude and the regional tsunami alert in Japan, Sri Lanka's Geological Survey and Mines Bureau confirmed that the island nation faces no tsunami threat from this event. The assessment indicates that while the earthquake posed serious risks to communities in Japan, it does not present a hazard to Sri Lankan shores.
