Naval base on quake-stricken southern Japan reports no injuries or damages

A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck near the heart of Kyushu, the southernmost of Japan’s four main islands, at 4:27 p.m. Tuesday, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.

The quake epicenter in Kumamoto prefecture, on the island’s western coast, was a shallow 6.2 miles deep, according to the agency. The agency registered the quake as a 7, the highest on Japan’s seismic intensity scale.

A tsunami warning issued by the agency expired at 6:10 p.m., according to public broadcaster NHK.

Sasebo Naval Base, 111 miles from Kumamoto city, felt the quake but no damage or injuries were reported as a result, according to base spokesman Aki Nichols by email two hours after the quake. Base activities and services were not affected, he said.

The meteorological agency reported “long-period ground motion,” meaning shaking can last several minutes.

NHK reported Class 4 shaking in Kumatomo, ground movement so strong that people cannot move without crawling and furniture will topple.

A 4:28 p.m. NHK report online said a local fire agency in a section of Kumatomo received reports that an Aeon Mall had partially collapsed, trapping people inside.

Overhead video footage on the NHK website showed a collapsed roof and exposed framework on the mall building.

The last earthquake of this magnitude in Japan occurred Jan. 1, 2024, on the Noto Peninsula on Honshu, the largest island of Japan. Immediate casualties in that event numbered nearly 300, according to media accounts.