No Macau assistance requests reported after Japan quake

The Macau Government Tourism Office (MGTO) said its travel hotline had not received any assistance requests from Macau residents after a powerful earthquake struck Japan’s Kumamoto prefecture. MGTO reminded Macau residents travelling in Japan to stay alert and follow the latest updates from local authorities.

The 6.8-magnitude quake hit southwest Japan Tuesday afternoon, sparking fires near the epicenter, damaging buildings and highways, and injuring dozens, Japan’s public broadcaster, NHK, reported.

A tsunami advisory was temporarily issued but was lifted within two hours, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.

The agency said the tsunami advisory covered the nearby Ariake and Yatsushiro Seas on the western coasts of Kumamoto, Nagasaki, Fukuoka, and Saga prefectures, about 900 kilometers southwest of Tokyo.

The U.S. Geological Survey initially said the earthquake had a magnitude of 7.1 but revised it later to 6.8.

Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, in a message posted on X, said her government had set up a task force to gather information, assess possible damage, and prepare for rescue operations if needed.

Kyodo News agency said a hospital in Yatsushiro city accepted about 40 people with injuries from the quake.