Adedokun Waliyu 
Japan has issued a tsunami alert after a powerful 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck the southwestern island of Kyushu on Tuesday, causing widespread power outages and strong tremors across the region.
The earthquake, which occurred at 4:27 p.m. local time, registered the highest possible Shindo 7 intensity on Japan’s seismic scale. Authorities warned that tsunami waves of up to one metre (three feet) could reach affected coastal areas.
According to local utility Kyushu Electric Power, about 45,000 households and facilities in the Kumamoto region lost electricity following the quake. However, officials confirmed that there were no immediate abnormalities at nearby nuclear power plants, and three operating reactors continued functioning normally.
Japan’s public broadcaster NHK reported that the shaking was so intense it was difficult for people to remain standing, while aftershocks continued in the area.
Authorities have urged residents in coastal communities to remain alert, follow evacuation instructions where necessary, and stay away from the shoreline until the tsunami warning is lifted.
Japan, located along the seismically active Pacific Ring of Fire, experiences hundreds of earthquakes each year. The country still bears the scars of the devastating 2011 magnitude-9.0 earthquake and tsunami, which claimed around 18,500 lives and triggered the Fukushima nuclear disaster.
