Strong 7.1-magnitude quake hits southern Japan, raising fresh concerns about major quakes

A strong earthquake struck southern Japan on Thursday, causing mostly minor injuries but raising concerns about possible major quakes from an undersea trough east of the coast.

The quake prompted seismologists to hold an emergency meeting, where they raised the risk level for major earthquakes in the Nankai region, the source of previous devastating quakes, in eastern southern Japan. They assessed that the likelihood of a future quake in the area stretching from Kyushu to central Japan is higher than previously thought.

The agency added that it will continue to closely monitor plate movements near the Nankai Basin.

That doesn't mean there's an imminent risk of a major quake in the near future, but they are urging coastal residents along the basin — which stretches about 500 kilometers (310 miles) — to review their quake preparations, University of Tokyo seismologist Naoshi Hirata, a member of the expert panel, said at a joint news conference with Japan Meteorological Agency officials.

Hirata said there is a 70% to 80% chance of a magnitude 8 or 9 earthquake occurring in the Nankai Trough in the next 30 years, adding that Thursday's quake raises that possibility even though the exact timing and location of the quake cannot be predicted. He urged residents to maintain high levels of caution for a week at a time.

A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck on Thursday in waters off the eastern coast of Kyushu island at a depth of about 30 km (18 miles), the Japan Meteorological Agency said. The quake shook the city of Nichinan and surrounding areas in Miyazaki Prefecture on Kyushu island.

The agency said tsunami waves as high as 50 centimeters (1.6 feet) were detected along parts of the southern coast of Kyushu and nearby Shikoku island about half an hour after the quake struck. It issued tsunami warnings, but lifted them for most areas three hours later and for all remaining coasts five and a half hours later.

Officials said nine people were injured on Japan's southern main island of Kyushu, but most suffered minor injuries. There were no reports of major damage.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told reporters that the government's crisis management team would step up its disaster preparations, and urged residents to pay attention to information issued by authorities in the event of another major disaster and never spread misleading information.

The U.S. Geological Survey issued a yellow alert for Thursday's quake to estimate economic losses, meaning “some damage is possible and the impact should be relatively localized.” It also issued a green alert for Thursday's quake to estimate fatalities, meaning “there is a low probability of human casualties.” [shaking-related] Injuries.

Shigeki Aoki, an official at the Japan Meteorological Agency's earthquake management, warned of the possibility of strong aftershocks lasting for about a week.

Windows were shattered at Miyazaki Airport, near the epicenter of the quake, NHK said. The airport runway was temporarily closed for safety checks.

Kyushu's Shinkansen bullet trains have resumed normal operations after temporary safety checks, but a number of local train lines in quake-hit areas are scheduled to be suspended until Friday, according to Kyushu Railway Co.

Footage broadcast by Japanese broadcaster NHK showed dozens of people gathering in a designated evacuation zone on a hilltop.

In Osaki city in neighboring Kagoshima Prefecture, concrete walls collapsed and a wooden house was damaged, but no injuries were reported.

The Nuclear Regulatory Authority said all 12 nuclear reactors, including three currently operating, in Kyushu and Shikoku remain safe.

Earthquakes in areas where nuclear power plants are located have become a major concern since the devastating earthquake and tsunami in March 2011 led to the Fukushima nuclear disaster.

Japan lies on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” a line of seismic faults that circle the Pacific Ocean, and is one of the world's most earthquake-prone countries.

An earthquake that struck the Noto region in north-central Japan on January 1 killed more than 240 people.

More CBS News

Haley Ott contributed to this report.

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