The earthquake recorded today in Japan has left more than 20 people injured and has forced a review of the safety of several rail connections in the center of the country. The tremor occurred at 01:04 on Sunday, Japan time, with a preliminary magnitude of 5.7 and the epicenter located about 40 kilometers deep, in the west of Shizuoka prefecture.
The bulletin from the Japan Meteorological Agency released by the emergency services in Ibaraki places the highest intensities in Aichi. It also reports strong shaking in areas of Shizuoka, Nagano and Gifu.
The available information describes broken shop windows, objects falling from shelves, and people injured during the movement or when trying to take cover. The authorities had not communicated any deaths in the information collected by AFP and published by CNA.
Where it was felt most strongly
The city of Chita, in Aichi, recorded an intensity of 5 greater than in the Japanese scale. Other localities, including Seto, Hamamatsu, Urugi and Ena, reached the lower level of 5, according to Jiji Press information.
The magnitude 5.7 and those intensity values describe different aspects of the earthquake. It should not be interpreted that Japan recorded an earthquake of magnitude 7: that number corresponds to the maximum on the Japanese intensity scale, not to the magnitude announced for this episode.
The movement caught the population by surprise in the early morning hours. In peninsular Spain, it was 17:04 on Saturday when it occurred.
What is known about the injured and the damage
The tallies published by the agencies still differ. Jiji Press reports 21 injured, Associated Press raises the figure to at least 22, and the AFP information released by CNA cites local media that speak of 24 affected. These figures correspond to different counts and should not be added.
Among the cases described are injuries caused by falls. Jiji reports a woman who fractured her ankle while evacuating outdoors in Hekinan, while AFP reports the case of a woman in her nineties who injured her shoulder when she fell out of bed in Shizuoka.
In Toyohashi, the windows of a car dealership were broken. In Toyota, a bookstore suffered the fall of merchandise from its shelves.
No tsunami alert or anomalies detected in Hamaoka
No tsunami alert has been issued for this earthquake. The operator Chubu Electric Power has also detected no anomalies at the nuclear power plant of Hamaoka, located in Shizuoka, according to information from Kyodo.
The Japanese agency also reports that meteorological authorities consider the possibility low that this incident is linked to a potential major earthquake in the Nankai Trough. This assessment does not constitute a prediction about when another seismic event could occur.
Rail delays and monitoring in case of further jolts
The earthquake forced the temporary suspension of some local services to inspect the tracks. On the Tokaido Shinkansen high-speed line, delays were recorded between Shizuoka and Gifu-Hashima after the safety checks, according to Kyodo.
The Japan Meteorological Agency has asked to maintain caution in case of possible strong earthquakes during the next week, especially on the first two or three days. It has also warned of the risk of landslides and rock falls, which can worsen if it rains.