Japan Hit by Two Strong Earthquakes in One Day; Hokkaido Quake Follows Tremor Near Tokyo
Japan : Japan was shaken by two significant earthquakes on Sunday, with a magnitude 6.0 tremor striking northern Hokkaido just hours after a 5.9-magnitude earthquake hit the eastern part of the country, injuring more than 40 people.
According to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), the 6.0-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Hokkaido at around 10:45 pm local time. The quake occurred at a depth of about 40 kilometres and recorded a seismic intensity of 4 on Japan’s seven-level scale.
No tsunami warning was issued following the Hokkaido earthquake.
Earlier in the day, a 5.9-magnitude earthquake struck southern Ibaraki Prefecture at around 2 am. The quake originated at a depth of approximately 68 kilometres and was strongly felt across parts of eastern and central Japan, including Tokyo.
More than 40 people were reported injured in Tokyo and neighbouring prefectures. Several people were hurt in Saitama, Kanagawa and Chiba, while authorities in Tokyo’s Koto Ward also reported a burst water pipe that may have been linked to the tremor.
The morning earthquake also disrupted transport services. Some trains were delayed, while others operated at reduced speeds as railway authorities carried out safety checks. Some express services were temporarily halted.
The earthquake reached lower 5 on Japan’s seismic intensity scale in parts of Ibaraki, Saitama and Chiba, as well as in Tokyo’s Adachi Ward. At this level, strong shaking can frighten people, make it difficult to remain standing and cause objects to fall from shelves.
Following the first quake, Japanese authorities warned residents to remain alert for possible aftershocks and similar seismic activity in the following days.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi also directed the government to set up an emergency response task force at the Prime Minister’s Office to assess the situation and coordinate the response.
Authorities across the affected areas continued monitoring the situation and checking for damage following the two earthquakes.
News source: Information for this article was gathered from a variety of reliable news outlets.
