Magnitude 5.9 Earthquake Shakes Eastern Japan, 37 Injured

Eastern Japan was struck in the early hours of Sunday by an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.9, injuring 37 people and also being felt in the Tokyo area.

According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, the epicentre of the tremor was in the southern part of Ibaraki Prefecture, about 70 kilometres underground. The United States Geological Survey put the preliminary magnitude at 5.8. Authorities issued no tsunami warning.

The force of the earthquake triggered emergency alerts on the mobile phones of residents in the Tokyo area. Local media reported that an underground pipe was damaged in the Koto district of the capital, causing water to leak onto the streets.

TEPCO Power Grid said that around 460 homes in Tokyo were left without electricity. Meanwhile, the Japanese government set up a task force to assess possible damage and monitor developments.

Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority said it had received no reports of problems at around a dozen nuclear power plants and facilities using nuclear materials.

The latest tremor came just a few weeks after another powerful earthquake in Japan. Last month, a magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck the Kumamoto area on the island of Kyushu, causing 38 deaths, 364 injuries and major damage to thousands of buildings.

Authorities continue to monitor the situation in eastern Japan, while no tsunami risk has been reported so far.