Earthquake In Japan: No Casualties Despite A Severe Shake

Japan witnessed a major earthquake of magnitude 6.6 on early Thursday with no significant damages or fatal casualties reported. The epicentre of he quake was identified in the Bungo Channel, a strait separating Kyushu and Shikoku Islands, at a depth of 39 km, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA).

The quake occurred around 11:14 p.m. local time, registering a lower 6 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale of 7 in Ainan, Ehime Prefecture, and Sukumo, Kochi Prefecture, both situated on Shikoku Island.

Injuries reported in Ehime and Kochi numbered seven, categorized as minor, with some areas experiencing minor damages such as ruptured water pipes, dangling power cables, fallen streetlights, and a landslide on a national roadway, as per NHK’s Thursday morning report.

Initially reported as a magnitude 6.4, the JMA later revised the earthquake’s magnitude to 6.6, as reported by a news agency.

This event marked the first occurrence of an earthquake with a lower 6 or higher intensity on Shikoku Island since the introduction of the current seismic intensity scale in 1996, as stated by the JMA.

Notably, the Ikata nuclear power plant in Ehime Prefecture, operated by Shikoku Electric Power Co., sustained no significant damage. Similarly, Kyushu Electric Power Co. confirmed no abnormalities detected at the Sendai nuclear power plant in Kagoshima Prefecture on Kyushu Island.