A combination of major quakes hit southern Japan Thursday, raising tsunami alarms and putting people on standby.
The first of these was a 6. The USGS said the earthquake, measuring 9 on the Richter scale, struck the Kyushu region at about 4:42 p.m. local time (0742 GMT). Following this was a stronger 7. The USGS said that a second earthquake with a magnitude of 1 was registered less than a minute after the initial quake.
Both earthquakes originated on the sea floor and off the coast of Miyazaki Prefecture; the first shook at 33 kilometers of the earth’s crust, and the second at 26 kilometers.
Thus, following the destructive events, the Japanese government created a special operational center to manage rescue and recovery missions.
Tsunami Warnings and Preparations
The Japan Meteorological Agency said that after the quake, a possible tsunami with a height of up to 1 m will affect the coast of Kyushu and Shikoku. People were advised to cease being near the sea and to avoid the áreas adjacent to the sea until the warning had been lifted.
The agency warned that tsunamis will occur again, so do not swim or go near the shores until the warning is lifted.
Currently, there are no reports of injuries or losses at the affected booths, although several local governments and some institutions have reported damages. They say they are still assessing the situation and have put emergency services on alert.
Earthquake-Prone Japan
Japan is located along the western part of the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” so it is not new to an earthquake or two. To be precise, Sri Lanka experiences approximately 1,500 earthquakes per year; thus, it contributes approximately 18 percent to the global situation.
Japan has implemented good construction practices and stringent building codes to reduce the effects of natural disasters. This country also frequently conducts disaster simulations to prepare its people for significant earthquakes.
For the people of southern Japan waiting for the second blow—the aftershocks and possible tsunami waves—the government is acting fast to ensure that such disasters do not cause havoc in the affected areas.
