A 5.7-magnitude earthquake struck central Japan early Sunday, injuring at least 22 people and causing damage across several prefectures.
The Story
A strong earthquake struck central Japan early Sunday, with Japan’s Meteorological Agency placing the preliminary magnitude at 5.7, while the U.S. Geological Survey reported magnitude 5.5.
Local media reported at least 22 injuries, including people who fell from stairs while trying to flee. Videos and photos from television coverage showed shattered store windows and glass scattered on streets, along with books thrown from a bookstore’s shelves.
The quake hit at 1:04 a.m. and was located about 40 kilometres (25 miles) below the earth’s surface in Shizuoka Prefecture, with aftershocks also reported.
A wide area near Aichi Prefecture was affected, including Hamamatsu as well as Kyoto and Nara, and nearby prefectures of Yamanashi—where Mount Fuji is located—and Gifu. The most violent shaking was felt in Aichi, according to official seismic assessments.
The affected area was far enough from Tokyo that the quake was not felt there. In the region, Japan’s Shinkansen bullet trains were running at slower speeds as a precaution, because earthquakes can sometimes damage the railways the trains run on.
Japan is in an earthquake-prone region.
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