Western Japan hit by 6.2-magnitude earthquake
No immediate reports of injuries or damage, but television images showed severe shaking in the region
A strong 6.2-magnitude earthquake hit western Japan on Friday, severely shaking the region and reportedly causing several injuries, damaging power lines and collapsing a house.
The quake struck shortly after 2pm in Tottori prefecture at a shallow depth of 10km. There was no tsunami risk.
The US Geological Survey initially pegged the quake’s magnitude at 6.6 before downgrading it.
Public broadcaster NHK quoted local officials as saying they had received reports that a house collapsed in the town of Yurihama, while fires broke out in another part of the prefecture, without giving details.
In Kurayoshi City, the fire department reported receiving seven emergency calls for injuries. Television images showed severe shaking in the region.
It’s possible that an aftershock similar to or bigger than this scale will hit the region
“It was a shallow quake. In the past, there were a series of powerful quakes in [this region],” said Takuya Nishimura, associate professor at Kyoto University’s Research Centre For Earthquake Prediction. “It’s possible that an aftershock similar to or bigger than this scale will hit the region.”