A 5.7-magnitude earthquake struck central Japan overnight between Saturday and Sunday. As a result, more than 20 people were injured, while material damage was also reported in several areas.
The Japan Meteorological Agency said the earthquake was recorded at 1:04 a.m. local time, with its epicenter west of Shizuoka Prefecture. The tremors originated at a depth of 40 kilometers, while the epicenter was located about 200 kilometers west of Tokyo.
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Data published by the local newspaper “Chunichi Shimbun” and “Tokai” television reported 24 people injured in Shizuoka and Aichi prefectures. In Aichi, an emergency services official said that 16 people had sustained minor injuries. Meanwhile, three people were reported injured in Shizuoka, including a 90-year-old woman who fell out of bed during the tremors.
In addition to causing injuries, the earthquake also shattered windows in the affected cities. Several rail transport services were suspended because of the tremors, including the Shinkansen high-speed train line.
Japan is considered one of the countries most at risk from earthquakes, as it lies at the junction of four tectonic plates. Data show that around 18% of the earthquakes that occur worldwide each year are recorded in the Japanese archipelago.
Although most seismic tremors do not cause major damage, Japan continues to remember the disaster of March 11, 2011. At that time, a magnitude 9.0 earthquake caused a devastating tsunami, bringing the number of dead and missing to around 18,500, while the Fukushima nuclear power plant was struck by a major disaster.
