5.7-magnitude earthquake hits Kumamoto

An earthquake registering an intensity of upper 5 on Japan’s seismic scale of zero to 7 has hit the Aso region of Kumamoto Prefecture, in the southwestern part of the country. The quake occurred at 6:01 p.m. Tuesday, Japan time. There is no threat of tsunami.

Japan’s Meteorological Agency said the focus of the quake was 10 kilometers deep and its magnitude was estimated at 5.7. The agency said the last time Kumamoto Prefecture had an earthquake registering an intensity of upper 5 or higher was on January 3, 2019, when tremors of lower 6 were observed.