The Japan Meteorological Agency on Monday reported a 6.9 magnitude quake in southwestern Japan. Tsunami warnings have also been issued for Miyazaki Prefecture, where the temblor was centred, in the southwestern island of Kyushu, as well as nearby Kochi Prefecture, shortly after the quake struck at 9:19 pm local time, according to the agency. Currently, the extent of damage was not immediately clear.
Japan is frequently hit by earthquakes because of its location along the “Ring of Fire,” an arc of volcanoes and fault lines in the Pacific Basin.
Massive earthquake hit Japan in 2024
In 2024, Japan was jolted by a massive earthquake of magnitude 7.5 earthquake. It hit Japan’s Noto Peninsula on January 1, killing more than 400 people and damaging more than 100,000 structures.
Notably, minor damage was reported at two nuclear facilities and evacuation plans for the region were found to be inadequate.
Earthquake in Mexico
Earlier on Sunday, a magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck a region in southwestern Mexico, according to the United States Geological Survey, causing no serious damage or casualties. It said the quake was centred 21 kilometres southeast of Aquila near the boundary of Colima and Michoacán states at a depth of 34 kilometres.
Tibet jolted by deadly earthquake
In January this year, Tibet also witnessed a deadly earthquake of 6.8 magnitude, which claimed more than 100 lives and caused huge devastation. According to regional disaster relief headquarters, the quake jolted Dingri County in Xigaze in Tibet Autonomous Region in China at 9:05 am local time.
Also Read | Another earthquake hits Xizang region in Tibet as death count from massive quake rises to 126