Magnitude 7.1 Earthquake Strikes Japan’s Kumamoto, Tremors Felt in S Korea

By Staff, Agencies

A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck off the coast of Kumamoto in southern Japan on Tuesday, with shaking reported across parts of southern South Korea, including Busan.

Japanese media, including NHK, reported that the quake hit at 4:27 p.m. around 23 kilometers [14 miles] south of Kumamoto city in Kyushu, Japan’s southwestern main island.

The earthquake occurred at a depth of 10 kilometers and recorded the highest seismic intensity level of 7 in Kumamoto and nearby areas.

Following the quake, the Japan Meteorological Agency issued a tsunami advisory, warning that waves of up to 1 meter [3.3 feet] could reach coastal areas.

The earthquake’s impact was also felt across southern Korea. The Korea Meteorological Administration said tremors reached intensity III on the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale in South Gyeongsang, Busan, South Jeolla, Gwangju, and Jeju, while lower-level shaking was detected in several other regions, including Gangwon, Gyeonggi, Daegu, Ulsan, and North and South Jeolla provinces.

A level III intensity means many people indoors can feel the shaking, with some objects or parked vehicles moving slightly, while level II is generally felt only by some people in quiet conditions or on upper floors of buildings.

Busan’s firefighting authorities received 157 emergency calls from residents reporting that they felt the tremors, with additional reports continuing to arrive.

“The shaking was so severe that everyone inside the building fled outside,” a resident near Haeundae District told Yonhap. Another resident in Yeongdo District said, “I felt the building sway side to side for about 10 seconds.”