Magnitude 5.9 quake hits eastern Japan, injures over 20 and disrupts rail services
A magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck Ibaraki Prefecture early Sunday, causing injuries in several neighboring prefectures, halting some train services and prompting safety checks at nuclear facilities.
An earthquake measuring magnitude 5.9 struck the southern part of Ibaraki Prefecture at 2:00 a.m. local time, with a depth of 68 km, the Japan Meteorological Agency reported. The tremor reached a lower 5 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale in parts of Ibaraki, central Tokyo and surrounding prefectures, a level that typically frightens residents and can cause objects to fall from shelves.
Rail operations were affected as some services were delayed or ran at reduced speed. JR East and other operators reported disruptions, while the Keisei Line, which links Ueno in Tokyo to Narita Airport, restored normal service by 9:40 a.m. Express trains on the Tobu Railway remained suspended.
Local fire departments said more than 20 people were injured, including a young man and a woman in her 70s in Saitama, nine individuals in Kanagawa and four in Chiba. In Tokyo's Koto Ward, a water pipe burst, prompting authorities to investigate a possible link to the quake.
No irregularities were found at the Tokai No. 2 nuclear power plant in Ibaraki or at the Fukushima Daiichi and Daini nuclear facilities, according to the operators. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi posted on social media that she had ordered officials to assess damage and provide timely information.
The agency issued an emergency earthquake alert and advised the public to stay alert for further lower-5 intensity tremors over the next week, especially in the coming two to three days. The quake was felt across a broad area of northeastern and central Japan.