Japan hit by 7.1 quake, tsunami advisory

Tokyo: 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck southwestern Japan on Tuesday, prompting the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) to issue a tsunami alert.The quake struck at 4:27 pm (0727 GMT) off the island of Kyushu and registered the highest possible level seven on Japan's Shindo intensity scale, according to the JMA.The agency warned that tsunami waves of up to one metre (three feet) could reach coastal areas at around 5:00 pm (0800 GMT).

Public broadcaster NHK reported that waves of up to that height may already have been recorded.The earthquake comes just over a month after a 7.2-magnitude quake struck northern Japan on June 25, causing no deaths or major damage.Read More: Four decades after Chernobyl, Italy embraces nuclear againJapan is among the world's most seismically active countries, located atop four major tectonic plates along the western edge of the Pacific "Ring of Fire".

The country, home to around 125 million people, experiences hundreds of earthquakes every year and accounts for roughly 18 percent of the world's seismic activity.While most earthquakes in Japan are relatively mild, the extent of damage depends on factors such as the location of the epicentre and the depth of the quake.The country continues to bear the memory of the devastating 9.0-magnitude undersea earthquake in 2011, which triggered a tsunami that killed or left around 18,500 people dead or missing and caused the Fukushima nuclear disaster.Earlier this year, on April 20, a 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck northern Japan, injuring at least 10 people and shaking high-rise buildings in Tokyo.

The tremor prompted authorities to issue a special advisory warning of an increased risk of earthquakes measuring 8.0 magnitude or stronger, which was lifted after a week. ...