Doha: A powerful earthquake measuring 7.1 on the Richter scale struck Kumamoto, south of Japan on Tuesday.

According to Qatar News Agency, the Japan Meteorological Agency said in a statement that the epicenter of the quake was at a depth of 10 kilometers. The agency issued warnings of the possibility of tsunami waves for the Ariake and Yatsushiro seas.

Japan is located at the intersection of four tectonic plates, making it particularly vulnerable to seismic activity. It is also home to 100 active volcanoes. In 2011, a 9.0-magnitude earthquake rocked Japan and triggered a tsunami, killing more than 15,000 people, and causing a disaster at Fukushima nuclear plant.