A 6.9 magnitude earthquake has hit Japan, prompting a tsunami alert.
An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.9 struck western Japan on Thursday, leading to tsunami advisories.
Arpit Pattnaik
Two powerful earthquakes struck off Japan on Thursday. According to the United States Geological Survey, a 6.9-magnitude earthquake was followed by a 7.1 tremor near Japan's southern island of Kyushu. The Japan Meteorological Agency reported that the quake was centered off the eastern coast of Japan's southern main island of Kyushu at a depth of about 30 km (18.6 miles).
After the earthquakes, the agency issued a tsunami advisory, predicting waves of up to 1 meter (3.3 feet) along the southern coast of Kyushu and the nearby island of Shikoku. Operators of nuclear plants on Kyushu and Shikoku said they were checking for any damage.
Japan's NHK public television reported broken windows at the Miyazaki airport near the epicenter.
Given that Japan sits on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” a line of seismic faults encircling the Pacific Ocean, it is one of the world's most earthquake-prone countries.
An earthquake on January 1 in Japan's north-central region of Noto left more than 240 people dead.
