00:00An earthquake struck Kumamoto, on Japan's main island of Kyushu, in the south of
00:05country, Tuesday afternoon, causing damage and injuries, according to authorities.
00:11According to the Associated Press, a tsunami warning was temporarily issued.
00:16lifted in less than two hours, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.
00:21The agency specified that the tsunami warning covered the nearby seas of Ariake and Yatsushiro,
00:27on the western coasts of the Kumamoto, Nagasaki, Fukuoka and Saga prefectures, located
00:34about 900 kilometers southwest of Tokyo.
00:37The United States Geological Survey initially reported that the earthquake had a magnitude
00:42of 7.1, a figure that was later revised to 6.8.
00:47Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takechi, in a message posted on X, stated that
00:53His government has created a working group to gather information and assess the possible
00:57damages and prepare for rescue operations if necessary.
01:02Takechi later told reporters that several injuries and damage had been reported.
01:07on roads, bridges and buildings, as well as power outages and fires, although
01:13The details are still unclear.
01:15The president warned people who cook at home to be cautious.
01:20with the fire and with the fragments of broken glass.
01:23Kyodo News reported that a hospital in the city of Yatsushiro received approximately
01:28of 40 people injured as a result of the earthquake.
01:31A train derailed and overturned on its side at Yatsushiro station, and the stone walls
01:37Kumamoto Castle suffered damage, according to Kyodo.
01:40Japan's fire and disaster management agency said there were no reports of
01:46damage to public facilities or large-scale infrastructure, although the authorities
01:51They continued to assess the extent of the damage.
01:53Local fire departments received numerous emergency calls about fires
01:58and damage to homes.
02:00Shinji Kiyomoto, head of earthquake and tsunami countermeasures planning at
02:06The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) stated at a press conference that the earthquake,
02:12of a superficial nature, it was generating intense seismic activity in the area,
02:17Therefore, he urged residents to exercise extreme caution during the next two or
02:22three days.
02:23However, he clarified that no tsunami was observed as a result of this earthquake.
02:29continental.
02:30Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority reported that no anomalies were detected in
02:35the three nearby nuclear power plants.
02:37The Shinkansen bullet trains and local trains in Kyushu were suspended due to inspections.
02:43security, while the runway at Arso Kumamoto airport was closed, with no prospects
02:49to resume operations, according to a notice posted on the airport's website.
02:55Japan's Ministry of Defense said it sent aircraft to the area to assess the situation.
02:59situation.
03:01Kumamoto had already been hit by a deadly earthquake in 2016, which left more than 50 dead.
03:071,800 injured and tens of thousands of homes damaged or destroyed.
