Strong earthquake with 7.1 magnitude strikes southern Japan; tsunami alert issued

A strong earthquake hit southern Japan on Tuesday, registering a magnitude of 7.1 according to the Japan Meteorological Agency and 6.8 according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The quake was centered near the city of Kumamoto, about 600 miles south of Tokyo.

A tsunami alert was issued, but only for waves of about one yard in height, according to the Reuters news agency, and there were no immediate reports of abnormalities at nuclear power plants in the region, Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority said.

The temblor measured at the highest possible level of seven on Japan’s own Shindo scale, the agency said.

There was no tsunami threat reported to Hawaii or American Samoa, according to the Honolulu-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.