News M5.9 earthquake shakes Kanto, disrupts trains, causes injury

Quite a shake, but as always, it's the earthquake warning that's the scariest. We were warned via smartphones and our local PA system.


An M5.9 earthquake struck eastern Japan early Sunday, injuring people in prefectures around Tokyo and disrupting transport, according to the weather agency and local authorities. The quake struck at around 2 am, with its focus in southern Ibaraki Prefecture at a depth of 68 kilometres. The Japan Meteorological Agency said there was no tsunami. Shaking reached lower 5 on Japan's seven-level seismic intensity scale in parts of Ibaraki and central Tokyo. At that level, most people become frightened and may feel the need to hold on to something stable, while objects can fall from shelves.

Over 20 people were injured in the earthquake, including a young man and a woman in her 70s in Saitama, north of Tokyo, as well as nine in Kanagawa and four in Chiba prefectures, according to local fire departments. In Tokyo's Koto Ward, a water pipe ruptured, prompting metropolitan authorities to look into whether the damage was linked to the temblor. An intensity of lower 5 was also recorded in parts of Saitama and Chiba prefectures. In central Tokyo, the same intensity was registered in Adachi Ward, while other parts of the capital recorded lower intensities.

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