Tokyo: A total of 10 people sustained minor injuries after a 5.6-magnitude earthquake struck the central Japanese prefecture of Yamanashi and nearby areas, local media reported on Saturday.
The temblor occurred at around 10:29 p.m. local time on Friday (local time) at a depth of about 20 km. It measured lower 6, the third-highest level on Japan’s seismic intensity scale of 7, in Fujikawaguchiko Town and Upper 5 in Otsuki City, both in Yamanashi Prefecture, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA).
The prefecture is known for Mt. Fuji.
An intensity of lower 6 means it is difficult to remain standing, and unsecured objects like furniture may topple over, and windows may be damaged, reports Kyodo News, quoting the agency.
Such a level of shaking was last recorded in Yamanashi in 1924, prompting some to worry about possible volcanic activity of Mt. Fuji. But the JMA said after the quake that no abnormalities had been detected in the mountain’s volcanic activity, reports Xinhua news agency.
Experts said it is unlikely to cause Mt. Fuji to erupt, considering the mechanism of the quake that occurred near the boundary between tectonic plates.
The earthquake also affected Kanagawa and Shizuoka prefectures, as well as Tokyo, where shaking was clearly felt. No tsunami warning was issued.
Earlier on Friday, an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.8 struck Chiba Prefecture, near Tokyo.
The quake’s epicentre was located at a latitude of 35.7 degrees north and a longitude of 140.6 degrees east.
The quake was the second to strike near Tokyo in less than an hour. At 11:49 a.m., a 4.1-magnitude earthquake hit southern Ibaraki Prefecture, with tremors also clearly felt in the capital.
Meanwhile, on Thursday, at least four people were injured after a 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck northeastern Japan.
The temblor, revised up from a preliminary magnitude of 6.9, occurred at around 7:30 a.m. local time off the eastern coast of Iwate Prefecture at a depth of about 40 km. It measured upper 6, the second-highest level on Japan’s seismic scale of 7, in Hashikami Town and lower 6 in Hachinohe City, both in Aomori Prefecture, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said.
(IANS)
