Magnitude 7.1 earthquake shakes southern Japan, tsunami warning issued

SaveSharefacebookxwhatsapp-strokecopylinkA TV screen displaying a collapsed bridge after a magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck Japan's southern Kumamoto prefecture in Tokyo, July 28, 2026 [Issei Kato/Reuters]By Al Jazeera Staff and ReutersPublished On 28 Jul 202628 Jul 2026A magnitude 7.1 earthquake has struck Japan’s southern Kumamoto prefecture, knocking out power to thousands of homes, stopping rail services and triggering tsunami warnings and aftershocks.The Japanese government issued emergency earthquake warnings on Tuesday for Kumamoto, Nagasaki, Kagoshima, Fukuoka, Saga, Oita, and Miyazaki prefectures, all on Japan’s southern island of Kyushu.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Japan set to restart world’s biggest nuclear power plantlist 2 of 3UN seeks $300M for victims of Venezuela’s earthquakeslist 3 of 3What’s next for Venezuela’s path to recovery from devastating earthquakes?end of listA tsunami warning for waves of up to 1 metre (3.3 feet) was issued following the earthquake, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.Japan is one of the world’s most earthquake-prone countries, with a tremor occurring at least every five minutes. Located along the “Ring of Fire” of volcanoes and oceanic trenches partly encircling the Pacific Basin, Japan accounts for about 20 percent of the world’s earthquakes of magnitude 6 or more.In a post on X, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi urged those in the quake-hit areas “to remain vigilant for the possibility of another earthquake of similar magnitude”, adding that the government was working to assess the extent of damage “as quickly as possible”.The Japan Times reported that cities in Kumamoto, as well as the neighbouring prefectures of Nagasaki, Kagoshima, Fukuoka, Saga and Miyazaki, felt strong shaking.The earthquake’s epicentre was located in the city of Uki, just south of the city of Kumamoto, at a depth of 10km (6.2 miles).Companies, including Sony and TSMC, the world’s largest contract chipmaker, have plants in the quake’s path. There was no immediate clarity on whether any infrastructure was damaged.Leading energy supplier Kyushu Electric Power said about 40,000 homes had lost electricity as a result of the earthquake, while railway company JR Kyushu said it had suspended services, including its high-speed bullet trains.There were no irregularities reported at the nuclear power stations in the area, the Nuclear Regulation Authority said.Two large earthquakes in Kumamoto 10 years ago killed 275 people and injured 2,739, according to an official count.