Panic in Southern Japan as Strong 6.1 Magnitude Earthquake Hits the Country

 

An earthquake of magnitude 6.1 struck off southern Japan on Thursday, the United States Geological Survey said. The quake struck 682 km off Japan’s island of Kyushu at a depth of 10 km, the agency said.

 

NAN reports that on April 14, 2016, authorities said nine people died after a second earthquake hit Japan’s southern island of Kyushu. Authorities report more than 800 injured, at least 53 seriously, and tens of thousands displaced on the island.

 

The 6.4-magnitude earthquake, thought to be one of the aftershocks of the earlier quake, struck at 0:03 a.m. local time (15:03 UTC). Japanese broadcaster NHK reported that around 860 people were injured during the tremors, while tens of thousands of people were evacuated.

 

The quake reportedly brought down walls and a number of houses in the town of Mashiki, located some 900 kilometers (560 miles) southwest of Tokyo.

 

An unknown number of people were trapped in the buildings and one of them was unconscious, according to NHK. Kyushu Electric Power said more than 16,000 households in and around Mashiki were without electricity. 

 

-Reuters