Series of earthquakes strikes southern Japan

A series of earthquakes has struck southern Japan today.

A magnitude 6.4 earthquake hit the southern Japanese island of Kyushu, registering the most intense shaking measured in the country since 2011.

A magnitude 6 quake hit the same area earlier on Thursday.

No tsunami warning was issued after the inland quake, which struck in Kumamoto prefecture at 9:36pm local time at a depth of 10km (6.2 miles), Japan's weather agency said.

The quake caused shaking at the top of Japan’s seven-point scale, the same level felt in the 2011 disaster that struck northern Japan.

Trains across Kyushu were halted and highways were closed after the tremor.

There were no reports of damage to Kyushu Electric Power Co's Sendai nuclear reactors, the only operating plants in Japan, chief cabinet secretary Yoshihide Suga said in a televised briefing.

The units, located in nearby Kagoshima, remained in operation after the quake.

Prime minister Shinzo Abe was reported to have rushed back to his office and issued orders to relevant ministries to gather information and do their utmost to assist.

Broadcaster NHK reported injuries in the town of Mashiki, where shaking was at the strongest intensity, while other media reports told of people trapped under collapsed houses. A strong aftershock hit about 30 minutes after the initial shaking.

Bloomberg/Reuters