A strong earthquake measuring 7.1 on the Richter scale hit Kumamoto Prefecture on Kyushu Island, Japan, leading to a tsunami warning being issued by local authorities. According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, the earthquake occurred at 4:27 PM local time (14:27 Hanoi time) in the southwestern part of the country.

Authorities warned of a potential tsunami with a maximum height of one meter, urging residents to stay away from the coast in the Ariake and Yatsushiro regions off Kyushu Island. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported that the earthquake's epicenter was inland, at a depth of approximately 10 kilometers.

The Japanese government has also issued an emergency earthquake warning for several prefectures including Nagasaki, Kagoshima, Fukuoka, Saga, Oita, and Miyazaki, all located on Kyushu Island. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi stated that officials are currently assessing the damage to both people and property, noting that there have been numerous injuries reported.

She mentioned that some areas experienced fires and power outages, with roads and bridges damaged and some buildings collapsing. Japan is one of the most seismically active countries in the world, located along the boundaries of four major tectonic plates on the Pacific Ring of Fire. The island nation, home to approximately 125 million people, experiences hundreds of earthquakes each year, accounting for about 18% of the world's seismic activity.

While most earthquakes are of low intensity, the level of damage often depends on the location and depth of the epicenter. The 9.0 magnitude earthquake off the coast of Japan on March 11, 2011, triggered a tsunami that resulted in approximately 18,500 deaths and missing persons, along with a disaster at the Fukushima nuclear power plant.

In April, a 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck northern Japan, injuring at least 10 people and causing high-rise buildings in Tokyo to shake. Following that earthquake, officials issued a special warning about the increased risk of strong earthquakes measuring 8.0 or higher, although the warning was lifted after a week.