An earthquake measuring 5.9 preliminary magnitude struck Japan's east region on Sunday morning, sending powerful tremors throughout the Tokyo area and injuring at least 23 people, authorities said Sunday, according to Associated Press. Authorities added that there are no tsunami fears after the powerful earthquake.
According to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), the earthquake struck southern Ibaraki Prefecture at around 2:00 a.m. local time, at a depth of approximately 70 kilometres. The US Geological Survey estimated the magnitude at 5.8.
Authorities reported injuries in four prefectures, including nine each in Saitama and Kanagawa, four in Chiba and one in Ibaraki. Most victims were only slightly hurt after falling on their backs or hitting their heads on furniture or doors when they hastily emerged from their beds, according to police. An 80-year-old woman in Yokohama was left with a serious hip injury after falling from her bed, an injury that caused her to be hospitalized, reported the AP.
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The earthquake triggered emergency alerts on mobile phones and caused significant shaking in Tokyo. A water pipe ruptured in Tokyo's Koto ward, flooding part of a road, although the leak was later repaired. Power outages affected around 460 homes in Tokyo, but electricity was restored by Sunday morning.
Train services were also disrupted, with delays affecting express and local trains serving Tokyo, Narita Airport and northeastern areas. Shinkansen bullet train services continued normally, according to the East Japan Railway Company.
A task force has been deployed at the affected areas to assess potential damage due to the earthquake. The Nuclear Regulation Authority said there were no reported abnormalities at nuclear power plants or facilities handling nuclear materials.
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Japan is one of the countries most prone to earthquakes in the world. The earthquake that occurred recently in Japan was preceded by a powerful earthquake of magnitude 7.1 in Kyushu, which resulted in the death of 38 people and injured another 364 people.
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