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TOKYO (AP) — A almighty earthquake struck disconnected Japan's confederate seashore connected Thursday, triggering a tsunami advisory that urged residents to enactment distant from the coastline. Nine radical were injured, astir of them slightly, but determination were nary reports of superior damage.
The Japan Meteorological Agency said the quake registered magnitude 7.1 and was centered successful waters disconnected the eastbound seashore of Japan's confederate main land of Kyushu astatine a extent of astir 30 kilometers (18.6 miles).
The quake astir powerfully shook Nichinan metropolis and adjacent areas successful Miyazaki prefecture connected Kyushu island.
The bureau said tsunami waves of up to 50 centimeters (1.6 feet) were detected on parts of Kyushu's confederate seashore and the adjacent land of Shikoku astir a fractional hr aft the quake struck. The tsunami advisory was lifted from astir coastlines but those on the Miyazaki prefecture.
Seismologists astatine the bureau held an exigency gathering to analyse whether the quake had affected the adjacent Nankai Trough, the root of past devastating earthquakes. They aboriginal issued an appraisal that the imaginable for a aboriginal quake successful the country from Kyushu to cardinal Japan is higher than antecedently predicted. The bureau said it volition proceed to intimately ticker movements of plates adjacent the Nankai Trough.
That does not mean there's an imminent information of a large quake successful the adjacent future, but they urged residents connected the coasts on the trough — which spans astir 500 kilometers (310 miles) — to reappraisal their quake preparedness, University of Tokyo seismologist Naoshi Hirata, a subordinate of an adept panel, told a associated quality league with JMA officials.
There is simply a 70-80% accidental of a magnitude 8 oregon 9 quake stemming from the Nankai Trough wrong the adjacent 30 years, Hirara said, adding that Thursday's quake raises that probability adjacent portion the timing oregon nonstop determination cannot beryllium predicted.
The Fire and Disaster Management Agency said 9 radical were injured, astir of them somewhat erstwhile falling down oregon deed by objects successful Thursday's quake successful Miyazaki and neighboring Kagoshima.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said officials were assessing imaginable injuries oregon superior damage, though nary were instantly reported. He urged residents of the affected portion to enactment distant from the coastline.
JMA Seismology Department authoritative Shigeki Aoki warned that beardown aftershocks could hap for astir a week.
Japan’s NHK nationalist tv said windows were breached astatine the Miyazaki airdrome adjacent the epicenter. The airport's runway was temporarily closed for information checks.
NHK showed dozens of radical gathering astatine a designated hilltop evacuation area.
In Osaki successful neighboring Kagoshima prefecture, factual walls collapsed and a woody location was damaged, but nary injuries were reported.
The Nuclear Regulation Authority said each 12 atomic reactors, including 3 that are presently operating, connected Kyushu and Shikoku remained safe.
Earthquakes successful areas with atomic powerfulness plants person been a large interest since a monolithic earthquake and tsunami successful March 2011 triggered the Fukushima atomic disaster.
Japan sits connected the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” a enactment of seismic faults encircling the Pacific Ocean, and is 1 of the world's astir earthquake-prone countries.
An earthquake connected Jan. 1 successful Japan's north-central portion of Noto near much than 240 radical dead.
