TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – A powerful earthquake struck Japan's Kumamoto Prefecture on Kyushu Island on Tuesday, injuring more than 50 people, damaging buildings and roads, and prompting safety advisories for Indonesian nationals living in the area.
Japan's Meteorological Agency (JMA) initially reported the quake at magnitude 7.1, triggering a tsunami warning. Indonesian authorities, however, referred to the event as a magnitude 6.8 shallow inland earthquake after updated seismic analysis. A strong magnitude 6.1 aftershock followed about an hour later.
According to Japanese public broadcaster NHK, at least 50 people were injured across Kumamoto Prefecture. Around 10 of the victims were residents of a nursing home in the town of Hikawa. The earthquake also sparked several fires and caused damage to homes and road infrastructure.
Authorities said there were no reports of damage or operational disruptions at nearby nuclear power facilities.
In response to the disaster, the Japanese government established an emergency crisis center at the Prime Minister's Office to coordinate rescue and response efforts.
Indonesian Embassy Urges Citizens to Stay Alert
Following the earthquake, the Indonesian Embassy (KBRI) in Tokyo urged Indonesian citizens in Japan, particularly those in Kumamoto Prefecture, to remain calm, stay vigilant, and closely follow instructions from Japanese authorities.
"As of now, we have not received any reports of Indonesian citizens being killed in the affected area," Muhammad Al Aula, Coordinator for Information and Socio-Cultural Affairs at the Indonesian Embassy in Tokyo, said in a statement.
The embassy advised Indonesians to prioritize the safety of themselves and their families, keep mobile phones switched on, conserve battery power for emergency communication, and monitor official updates from the Japan Meteorological Agency.
The embassy said it is continuing to coordinate with Indonesian community groups in Kumamoto and surrounding areas, as well as with Japanese authorities, to monitor the condition of affected Indonesian nationals.
Indonesians requiring emergency assistance were urged to contact the Indonesian Embassy in Tokyo or the Indonesian Consulate General in Osaka through their emergency hotlines.
No Tsunami Threat to Indonesia
Indonesia's Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) confirmed that the earthquake poses no tsunami threat to Indonesia.
BMKG Director for Earthquakes and Tsunamis Wijayanto said tsunami modeling showed the earthquake would not generate waves affecting Indonesian waters.
"Our tsunami modeling indicates that this earthquake does not have the potential to generate a tsunami in Indonesia," he said.
BMKG said the shallow earthquake occurred on an active strike-slip fault near Uki City in Kumamoto Prefecture. The agency also recorded a strong magnitude 6.3 aftershock shortly after the main quake.
The agency urged the public to rely only on verified information issued through BMKG's official communication channels.
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