Strong Earthquake Rocks Kyushu, Japan

Strong Earthquake Rocks Kyushu, Japan

TOKYO, July 28 (Reuters) – An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.1 struck ​Japan’s southern Kumamoto prefecture on Tuesday, knocking out power to thousands ‌of homes, stopping rail services and triggering warnings for tsunamis and aftershocks.

Companies including Sony and TSMC, the world’s largest contract chipmaker, have plants ​in the area of the quake.

A Sony spokesperson ​said the company was checking the situation. TSMC did ⁠not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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The Japanese government ​issued emergency earthquake warnings for Kumamoto, Nagasaki, Kagoshima, Fukuoka, Saga, Oita, ​and Miyazaki prefectures, all on Japan’s southern Kyushu island. A tsunami warning for a wave measuring 1 m (3.28 feet) was issued after the earthquake, the Japan ​Meteorological Agency said.

Japan is one of the world’s most earthquake-prone countries, ​with a tremor occurring at least every five minutes. Located along the “Ring ‌of ⁠Fire” of volcanoes and oceanic trenches partly encircling the Pacific Basin, Japan accounts for about 20% of the world’s earthquakes of magnitude 6.0 or more.

A massive earthquake in Kumamoto 10 years ​ago killed 275 ​people and ⁠injured a further 2,739, according to an official count.

Kyushu Electric Power said about 40,000 homes ​had lost power as a result of the ​quake, while ⁠railway company JR Kyushu said that it had suspended services, including its high-speed bullet trains.

There were no irregularities reported at the ⁠nuclear ​power stations in the area, Japan’s ​nuclear regulation authority said.