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A major earthquake struck Japan’s southern Kumamoto Prefecture on Tuesday, sparking tsunami warnings in the region.
The Japan Meteorological Agency said the earthquake, with a preliminary magnitude of 7.1 and depth of 10 kilometers, or just over 6 miles, was at the highest end of the seismic intensity scale.
Japan’s Cabinet Office’s Disaster Management Division said the earthquake struck at around 4.27 p.m. local time (3:27 a.m. ET), with a tsunami advisory issued for the Ariake and Yatsushiro Seas minutes later.
It warned residents to leave coastal areas immediately and to stay away until the advisory was lifted.
It was not immediately clear what impact the earthquake has had on the ground.
Video published online and geolocated by NBC News appeared to show part of the outer walls of the Kumamoto Castle, a popular tourist destination in the area, damaged and surrounded by a cloud of dust.
An X account appearing to belong to the tourist attraction said that its operations would be suspended for at least the rest of Tuesday “due to the impact” of the earthquake.
The temblor struck just over a decade after the castle was also damaged in the deadly earthquakes that rocked the area in 2016.
Livecam video published online also appeared to show buildings shaking in Kumamoto City.
The National Weather Service said there was no tsunami warning, advisory, watch or threat in place for Hawaii or American Samoa.
This is a developing news story. Please check back for updates.
