5.7 magnitude earthquake hits Japan, 24 injured
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At least 24 people were injured in a 5.7 magnitude earthquake in central Japan. The quake shattered windows in several buildings, scattered goods inside stores and disrupted train services. However, no deaths were reported. No tsunami warning was issued following the earthquake.
The earthquake struck Shizuoka Prefecture at 1:04 am Sunday, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. The information was reported by government officials and local media.
An official from the emergency services department in the Aichi region said at least 16 people were reported injured there. Most of them sustained minor injuries. Authorities in neighboring Shizuoka said at least three women received emergency medical treatment. Among them was a woman aged over 90 who injured her shoulder after falling out of bed during the earthquake.
According to reports by local newspaper Chunichi Shimbun and Tokai Television, at least 24 people were injured across the Aichi and Shizuoka regions.
The earthquake shattered the windows of a car showroom in Toyohashi city in the Aichi region. In Toyota city in the same region, books and other products fell from the shelves of a large bookstore. Windows of several other stores were also broken.
The earthquake temporarily delayed and suspended services on various regional trains, including Shinkansen bullet trains, on Sunday morning.
According to local media reports, the tremors were felt as far away as Osaka. There, a foreign national reportedly fell from an apartment on the second floor after being frightened by the earthquake and was hospitalized. Osaka officials could not be reached immediately for comment.
Meanwhile, another earthquake measuring 4.3 struck the Kumamoto region at 10:53 am Sunday, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. No major damage or casualties were immediately reported from the second earthquake.
Southwestern Japan is still trying to recover from the damage caused by a 7.1 magnitude earthquake that struck in July. The earthquake killed 38 people. Numerous homes were destroyed and thousands of people were left without electricity.
Japan experiences hundreds of earthquakes every year because it is located on the Pacific “Ring of Fire.” In 2011, a powerful 9.0 magnitude earthquake struck beneath the sea off the country’s coast. The resulting tsunami killed or left missing around 18,500 people. The tsunami also severely damaged the Fukushima nuclear power plant.
Source: The Japan Times (Adapted)
