Magnitude 5.9 earthquake injures 37 in Tokyo region
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A moderate earthquake struck eastern Japan early Sunday, injuring at least 37 people across five prefectures, including Tokyo, officials said. Most of the injuries were minor. There was no tsunami threat.
The Japan Meteorological Agency said the earthquake had a preliminary magnitude of 5.9 and was centered in southern Ibaraki prefecture at a depth of 70 kilometers. The US Geological Survey recorded the magnitude at 5.8.
At least 37 people were injured in the region. Fifteen were injured in Tokyo, nine in Saitama, eight in Kanagawa, four in Chiba and one in Ibaraki, according to prefectural officials and the Fire and Disaster Management Agency.
Officials said most of the injured fell or hit themselves against furniture or doors after being startled by the shaking while sleeping. A woman in her 80s suffered a serious hip injury after falling from her bed in Yokohama, Kanagawa prefecture, the Yomiuri newspaper reported.
A 23-year-old man told the Asahi newspaper that he felt a vertical jolt seconds after his earthquake alert went off while shopping in Tokyo’s Taito district. He said he feared being struck by merchandise falling from shelves as the building shook.
The earthquake caused delays to express trains serving Tokyo and Narita Airport as well as other local trains serving northeastern areas. Shinkansen bullet trains continued operating normally, according to East Japan Railway Co.
The government established a task force to assess the extent of possible damage, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said on X.
The Japan Meteorological Agency urged residents in the affected area to remain cautious about another possible moderate earthquake for about a week.
The earthquake triggered emergency alerts on mobile phones and significantly shook Tokyo. NHK public television showed traffic on roads in nearby cities including Mito and Saitama appearing to be normal.
An underground water pipe ruptured in Tokyo’s Koto Ward, sending water onto a road. NHK footage showed the flooding. The pipe was later repaired and the leak stopped.
There were no reports of abnormalities at about a dozen nuclear power plants and other facilities handling nuclear materials, according to the Nuclear Regulation Authority.
Last month, a magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck the Kumamoto area on Kyushu, Japan’s southernmost main island, killing 38 people and injuring 364.
Source: AP (Adapted)
