6.7 Quake Hits Japan; Tsunami Alert Issued

TOKYO —  Hundreds of thousands of people were ordered to flee coastal areas of southern Japan for higher ground today, amid fears that a tsunami of up to six feet would follow a strong earthquake that rocked the region.

The tidal wave alert was issued for a 750-mile stretch of shoreline shortly after an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.7 hit the Amami islands at 11:41 a.m.

Much of the coastline of the islands of Kyushu and Shikoku was included in the alert. The area, about 750 miles southwest of Tokyo, has been battered by more than 300 aftershocks since a 6.2 magnitude quake struck late Wednesday.

Tsunami warnings are frequently issued following quakes, but a full alert is highly unusual. In some quakes, tidal waves have killed more people than the quake itself.