A 5.9 magnitude earthquake has hit eastern Japan, with strong tremors also felt in the Tokyo metropolitan area. The provisional toll, initially stuck at 12, has risen to 37 injured. No tsunami warning has been issued and, at the moment, there is no serious structural damage.
According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, the earthquake had its epicenter in the south of Ibaraki Prefecture, at a depth of 68 kilometers. The United States Geological Survey instead estimated the magnitude at 5.8.
The tremor was felt distinctly in the 23 districts of Tokyo and in the prefectures of Ibaraki, Saitama and Chiba, reaching the “lower 5” level of the Japanese seismic intensity scale. “Strong tremors were recorded,” Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi wrote on X, reporting the epicenter located in the southern prefecture of Ibaraki.
Among the 37 injured people was a woman over 80 years old living in Yokohama, south of Tokyo, who suffered a hip injury after falling while getting out of bed. Nine minor injuries were initially reported in Saitama Prefecture and three more in Kawasaki, south of the capital. Also in Saitama, a building reported minor damage. However, the Fire and Disaster Management Agency specified that there was no serious structural damage.
Trains suspended and checks at nuclear plants
The earthquake caused delays and temporary suspensions on several regional train lines in the Tokyo area. The East Japan Railway Company stopped traffic to allow for safety checks following the earthquake.
No anomalies were recorded at the Tokai No. 2 nuclear power plant in Ibaraki Prefecture, according to the Nuclear Regulatory Authority. Tepco has also ruled out consequences for its main infrastructures.
The Japanese Meteorological Agency has invited the population to remain alert for the possibility of new tremors of similar intensity over the next week, particularly in the following two or three days.