A magnitude 6.9 earthquake followed by another magnitude 7.1 tremor struck off the southern Japanese island of Kyushu.

This was reported by the United States Geophysical Service (USGS).

And the tsunami warning goes up: «Tsunamis will strike repeatedly. Please do not enter the sea or approach the coast until the warning has been lifted,” the Japan Meteorological Agency warned on X.

The first earthquake struck at 4.42pm local time at a depth of 33 kilometers, the second at almost 25 kilometers, according to the USGS. The Japanese government has established a special task force.

At the crossroads of several tectonic plates along the Pacific "Ring of Fire", Japan is one of the most seismically active countries in the world. Home to approximately 125 million people, the archipelago records approximately 1,500 tremors per year, representing approximately 18% of earthquakes worldwide.

(Unioneonline/D)