Powerful 7.1-magnitude earthquake jolts Japan, tsunami alert issued

TOKYO: A powerful 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck southwestern Japan on Tuesday afternoon, prompting the Japan Meteorological Agency to issue a tsunami alert.

According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, the earthquake struck the island of Kyushu at 4:27 p.m. local time.

The earthquake was recorded at a magnitude of 7 on Japan’s Shindo scale, the highest level, which indicates very strong ground shaking.

The agency warned that the earthquake could generate tsunami waves about three feet high, which are expected to hit the coast by 5 p.m.

According to the state broadcaster NHK, there have been reports of waves of this height in some areas.

Japan is one of the countries in the world where earthquakes occur the most.

The country sits on the western edge of the Pacific Ring of Fire, where four major tectonic plates meet, causing hundreds of earthquakes every year.

The country, with a population of about 125 million, experiences about 18 percent of the world’s earthquakes.

Japan is still reeling from the devastating 9.0-magnitude undersea earthquake in 2011, which triggered a tsunami that killed or left nearly 18,500 people dead or missing, and severely damaged the Fukushima nuclear power plant.