Major earthquake rocks Japan, prompting tsunami warnings

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.

This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.