Two massive earthquakes hit southwestern Japan triggering tsunami alerts

Two massive earthquakes of magnitudes 6.9 and 7.1 hit Japan's southwestern islands of Kyushu and Shikoku on Aug 8 evening, occurring within a minute of each other and prompting authorities to issue tsunami warnings, though no immediate major damage was reported..

The quake occurred at around 4:43 p.m. (0743 GMT) off Miyazaki prefecture on the western major island of Kyushu, the Japan Meteorological Agency said, as reported by Reuters.

A tsunami alert has been issued for Miyazaki, Kochi, Oita, Kagoshima, and Ehime prefectures. In Miyazaki prefecture on Kyushu, 20-centimeter-high waves had already been observed, as reported by public broadcaster NHK.

There have been abnormalities at nuclear power plants following the quake, and the government is checking for damage and casualties, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters.

According to the advisories, waves of up to 3.3 feet can be expected along the southern coast of Kyushu and nearby island of Shikoku.

"Tsunamis will strike repeatedly. Please do not enter the sea or approach the coast until the warning is lifted," the JMA said on microblogging site X.

Japan is one of the world's most earthquake-prone countries given its geological location. It sits on the Pacific "Ring of Fire," the line of seismic faults encircling the Pacific Ocean where frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur due to tectonic plate movements.