Dozens of people were injured after a 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck the city of Kumamoto on Japan's southern island of Kyushu on Tuesday, prompting the Japan Meteorological Agency to issue a tsunami warning.

The agency said the earthquake struck at a depth of 10 kilometers beneath the seabed at 4:29 p.m. local time in western Kumamoto, about 900 kilometers southwest of the capital, Tokyo.

Meanwhile, Japan's public broadcaster NHK reported that one hospital in Kumamoto had treated more than 50 people injured in the earthquake.

The broadcaster also reported that 12 homes had collapsed, with people still trapped beneath the rubble of four of them.

Kyushu Electric Power said the earthquake caused power outages affecting about 40,000 homes, while JR Kyushu suspended rail services, including high-speed train operations.

The Japan Meteorological Agency warned of the possibility of a tsunami, saying the advisory covers nearby Ariake Bay along Kumamoto's western coast, around 900 kilometers southwest of Tokyo.

Warnings and Emergency Response

In a post on X, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi urged residents to stay away from coastal areas, where tsunami waves of up to one meter had been forecast.

She said the government had established a task force to gather information, assess potential damage, and prepare rescue operations if needed, stressing that her administration "places people's lives above all else." Japan's Ministry of Defense also announced that it had dispatched aircraft to the affected area to assess the situation.

Japan's Fire and Disaster Management Agency said it had received no reports of damage to public facilities or major infrastructure, although authorities are continuing to evaluate the full extent of the earthquake's impact.

Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority said no abnormalities had been detected at three nearby nuclear power plants following the earthquake.

Shinkansen bullet train services and local rail operations across Kyushu were temporarily suspended while safety inspections were carried out.

Kumamoto was previously struck by a devastating earthquake in 2016 that killed more than 50 people, injured around 1,800 others, and damaged or destroyed tens of thousands of homes.