A moderate earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.9 rattled eastern Japan, including the Tokyo area, early Sunday, injuring at least five people, officials said. No tsunami danger followed the quake.
According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, the earthquake occurred in southern Ibaraki prefecture at a depth of 70 kilometres. The region is prone to frequent earthquakes. The United States Geological Survey recorded the preliminary magnitude of the quake at 5.8.
At least five people injured
The Fire and Disaster Management Agency said at least five people were injured in Ibaraki, Chiba and Saitama prefectures, northeast of Tokyo. The agency said more people were injured and that details were still being investigated. The earthquake also significantly shook Tokyo and triggered emergency earthquake alerts on mobile phones. NHK public television showed traffic on roads in nearby cities, including Mito and Saitama, appearing to be normal.
Train services affected
The earthquake caused delays to express trains serving Tokyo and Narita Airport, along with other local trains serving northeastern regions. However, Shinkansen bullet trains were running normally, according to East Japan Railway Company. The disruption affected transport services in areas around the capital as authorities assessed the situation following the earthquake.
Water pipe ruptures, power cuts reported
An underground water pipe ruptured in Tokyo’s eastern Koto ward, with water pouring onto the road, according to footage shown by NHK. The earthquake also caused power outages affecting about 460 homes in Tokyo. TEPCO Power Grid said power had been restored by later Sunday morning. There were no reports of anomalies at about a dozen nuclear power plants and other facilities handling nuclear materials, according to the Nuclear Regulation Authority.
Government sets up task force
The Japanese government set up a task force to assess the extent of possible damage following the earthquake. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said the government was monitoring the situation and assessing any impact from the quake. Authorities continued to investigate reports of injuries and damage following the earthquake.
Japan has frequent earthquake activity
The latest earthquake struck an area of Japan that is prone to frequent seismic activity. Last month, a magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck the Kumamoto area on Japan’s southernmost island of Kyushu. The quake killed 38 people and injured 364 others. It also destroyed more than 1,500 buildings and damaged nearly 20,000 others.
(With inputs from AP)
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