A powerful magnitude 7.1 earthquake in Japan's southern Kumamoto Prefecture has triggered a tsunami warning for coastal areas, leading to immediate evacuations. The Japan Meteorological Agency has also cautioned residents about the possibility of subsequent strong tremors and landslides.

A powerful magnitude 7.1 earthquake in Japan's southern Kumamoto Prefecture has triggered a tsunami warning for coastal areas, leading to immediate evacuations. The Japan Meteorological Agency has also cautioned residents about the possibility of subsequent strong tremors and landslides.

A powerful magnitude 7.1 earthquake in Japan's southern Kumamoto Prefecture has triggered a tsunami warning for coastal areas, leading to immediate evacuations. The Japan Meteorological Agency has also cautioned residents about the possibility of subsequent strong tremors and landslides.

A tsunami warning was issued for the Ariake and Yatsushiro seas in Japan after a magnitude 7.1 earthquake rattled the region at around 4.27 p.m. local time in the southern Kumamoto Prefecture on Tuesday.

The Japan Meteorological Agency said the earthquake struck at a depth of 10 kilometres and was at the highest end of the seismic intensity scale.

Japan’s Cabinet Office’s Disaster Management Division have asked residents to leave the coastal region immediately and to stay away until the advisory was lifted.

Videos online showed the outer walls of the Kumamoto Castle, a popular tourist destination in the area built in 1607, damaged and surrounded by a cloud of dust. No injuries have been reported so far, and police and other authorities are investigating the extent of the damage.

In the April 2016, during the Kumamoto earthquake, the castle suffered extensive damage (30,000 stones from the castle's stone walls collapsed) and was undergoing long-term restoration work that was meant to end in 2052.

Japan’s Meteorological Agency also said that residents in areas with the biggest tremor must beware of further strong quakes for about a week. There are also risks of landslides.

Professor Takuya Nishimura (Geodesy) of Kyoto University's Disaster Prevention Research Institute told Japanese news outlet Yomiuri, "It is highly likely that this earthquake was caused by the movement of the remaining southern part of the fault that ruptured on the northern side during the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake. At this point, we do not know if the fault has completely ruptured, so we need to be careful about aftershocks."

The Fire and Disaster Management Agency of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications issued an "emergency safety order" for more than 90,000 people in two municipalities in Kumamoto Prefecture following the quake.

For Amakusa City and Kamiamakusa City in Kumamoto Prefecture, a Level 5 "emergency safety order" has been issued for 46,610 households and 92,743 people, urging them to immediately secure their safety.

A Level 4 "evacuation order" was issued for 36,306 households and 78,628 people in five municipalities in Kumamoto, Fukuoka, and Nagasaki Prefectures, local reports said.

Local news reported 12 cases of collapsed houses, 4 cases of people trapped inside houses, 2 fires, and 13 other incidents requiring rescue in the Kumamoto prefecture.

The injured were taken to the hospital.

Train services have been suspended in the region, with no time issued for resuming the services.

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