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Strong 5.7-Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Central Japan, Leaving Over 20 Injured
Image: Collected
A strong earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.7 struck central Japan early Sunday, shattering store windows, scattering books from shelves, and leaving at least 22 people injured.
The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) reported that the tremor hit at 1:04 a.m. local time at a depth of roughly 40 kilometers (25 miles) in Shizuoka Prefecture. Meanwhile, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) measured the quake slightly lower at a magnitude of 5.5.
The most violent shaking was recorded in neighboring Aichi Prefecture. The tremors were felt across a wide region of central Japan, including Hamamatsu, the historic cities of Kyoto and Nara, Gifu, and Yamanashi Prefecture—home to Mount Fuji. Tokyo, located further away, did not feel the quake.
Japanese television broadcasts showed shattered glass on littered streets and stores dealing with stock thrown from displays. Authorities confirmed that injuries primarily resulted from people falling down stairs while scrambling to evacuate buildings.
As a precautionary measure, Shinkansen bullet trains operating through the affected sectors reduced their speeds to check for potential track damage. Officials confirmed there is no tsunami threat, though smaller aftershocks continue to rattle the region.