## Earthquake Strikes Southern Coast of Japan
A 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck the southern coast of Japan on Thursday, causing minor damage.
The meteorological agency issued a tsunami warning, but so far only low waves have been recorded.
The powerful quake struck at 4:42 p.m. (07:42 GMT) 20 kilometers northeast of the coastal city of Nichinan on Kyushu Island, at a depth of 25 kilometers, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) reported.
The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) also reported a 7.1 magnitude earthquake and issued a tsunami warning.
“Please do not enter the sea or approach the coast until the alert is lifted,” the agency said on social media.
The agency initially projected waves of up to one meter on the coasts of the islands of Kyushu and Shikoku.
The agency also warned of the risk of a small tsunami in Chiba, on the main island of the archipelago, some 850 kilometers from the epicenter.
Waves of 50 centimeters, 20 centimeters, and 10 centimeters have been recorded in some places since the quake, including the port of Miyazaki, the capital of the prefecture of the same name.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center has issued a warning of the risk of dangerous waves within a 300-kilometer radius around the epicenter.
Government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi said one person was slightly injured and two others had injuries of varying severity.
Images on social media, which have not been verified, show minor damage such as broken crockery, fallen bookcases, and a wall that collapsed on a car.
Japan is situated on four major tectonic plates in the Pacific Ring of Fire and is one of the most seismically active countries in the world.
This archipelago, which has some 125 million inhabitants, registers around 1,500 earthquakes each year, which corresponds to 18% of the tremors recorded in the world.
On January 1 this year, hundreds of people were killed by a devastating earthquake that struck the Noto Peninsula on the shores of the Sea of Japan.
© Agence France-Presse