India, July 28 -- A powerful earthquake of preliminary magnitude 7.1 struck Japan's Kumamoto Prefecture on Tuesday, prompting authorities to issue a tsunami advisory for parts of southern Japan and temporarily suspend rail services across Kyushu.

According to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), the earthquake occurred at approximately 4.27 pm local time at a depth of around 10 kilometres.

The epicentre was located in Kumamoto on Kyushu, Japan's southernmost main island, about 900 kilometres southwest of Tokyo.

Following the quake, the JMA issued a tsunami advisory for coastal areas bordering the Ariake Sea and Yatsushiro Sea, warning that tsunami waves of up to one metre could reach the coastline.

The advisory covered parts of Kuma...