Series of Earthquakes and aftershocks hits central Japan, seven hurt, buildings destroyed
Pastor Dale Morgan
Series of Earthquakes and aftershocks hits central Japan, seven hurt,
buildings destroyed*
December 18, 2009 - 4:06PM
AFP
At least seven people have been injured and more than 20 buildings have
been damaged or destroyed after an earthquake hit central Japan
accompanied by dozens of aftershocks.
The 5.2 magnitude quake struck at 8.45am (1045 AEDT), with the epicentre
located off the Izu Peninsula in the Pacific Ocean about 90km southwest
of Tokyo, the US Geological Survey said.
The tremor shattered windows and cracked some roads and sidewalks,
toppled over tombstones in a cemetery, caused the collapse of a hotel
wall and damaged more than 20 other buildings in Ito City, eastern Izu.
Among those injured was a 78-year-old man who broke his hip when he fell
on a stairwell, local officials said.
"We have continued feeling aftershocks," said Hiroki Ishii, an Ito city
official.
"We are trying to ask our citizens to be on alert while we are providing
as much support for them as possible."
More than 100 tremors were recorded in the region from late Thursday,
when an initial jolt was reported, as train services were temporarily
suspended there, officials said.
"There is a possibility that similar-sized or even bigger earthquakes
will occur," Takashi Yokota, of the Japanese meteorological agency, told
a news conference.
"Please be on alert when you are near fragile ground."
The Japanese agency put the quake's scale at 5.3, adding that there was
no fear of a tsunami following the quake.
The eastern Kanto region, including Tokyo, was shaken by a separate
5.3-magnitude quake at 5.41 am (0741 AEDT) although there was no damage,
the USGS said.
Around 20 per cent of the world's most powerful earthquakes strike Japan.
© 2009 AFP