TOKYO: A magnitude 5.9 Japan earthquake struck the Greater Tokyo region at 2 am JST on Sunday, injuring at least 37 people.
The Japan Meteorological Agency located the epicentre in southern Ibaraki Prefecture, northeast of the capital, at a depth of 68 kilometres. The agency said the earthquake posed no tsunami threat.
Authorities recorded lower 5 shaking on Japan’s seven-level seismic intensity scale in parts of Ibaraki, Saitama and Chiba prefectures and Tokyo’s Adachi Ward. Other areas across the Kanto region registered weaker tremors.
At least 15 people suffered injuries in Tokyo, while officials recorded nine in Saitama, eight in Kanagawa, four in Chiba and one in Ibaraki, the Associated Press reported. Most sustained minor injuries from falls or contact with furniture, although one woman suffered a serious hip injury.
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The earthquake disrupted several JR East railway services and forced some trains to operate at reduced speeds. Shinkansen bullet trains continued running, while services connecting central Tokyo with Narita International Airport later returned to normal.
A water pipe ruptured in Tokyo’s Koto Ward, while part of a ceiling collapsed at Ushiku City Hall in Ibaraki, according to local authorities and Japanese media.
Nuclear plant operators reported no abnormalities at the Tokai No. 2, Fukushima Daiichi or Fukushima Daini facilities.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi instructed officials to assess the damage and provide timely public information. The weather agency warned residents to prepare for similar shaking during the next week, particularly over the first two to three days.
