Here t'is..Japans earthquake. Not too earthshattering...oops forgive the pun.
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Earthquake rocks northern Japan
Monday, November 4, 2002 Posted: 2:05 AM HKT (1805 GMT)
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TOKYO, Japan (AP) -- A strong earthquake jolted northern Japan on
Sunday, injuring one person and disrupting local transportation but
causing no major damage.
The 6.1-magnitude tremor was centered about 45 kilometers (27 miles) under the seabed off
the coast of northern Miyagi prefecture (state), Meteorological Agency spokesman Shinji
Chikasawa said. The figures were revised down from the agency's initial report of a magnitude
of 6.2 and a depth of 50 kilometers (31 miles).
A 66-year old woman in Sendai city suffered leg injuries after falling down a set of stairs,
Sendai fire station official Masao Sugiyama said.
Travelers waited in stalled trains as power outages temporarily suspended bullet-train service
in some areas. Disruptions to train schedules were expected to continue into the evening,
according to public broadcaster NHK television.
Noriko Miura, a cashier at a convenience store in Monou, said buildings in the area swayed for
more than 10 seconds and small food items fell from shelves, but there appeared to be no
structural damage.
Though there were no major interruptions in the prefectural power supply, isolated areas may
have experienced a brief blackout, a Tohoku Power Co. spokesman said.
There were no reports of major damage to buildings or roads, said Kazuyoshi Saito, a police
spokesman in the nearby city of Kessennuma.
The tremor, which struck at 12:37 p.m. (0337 GMT), was most strongly felt in Monou, a town
located about 350 kilometers (217 miles) northeast of Tokyo, the agency said.
There was no danger of tsunami -- powerful waves caused by seismic activity, the agency
said.
An earthquake of magnitude 6 can inflict widespread damage in populated areas.
Japan is one of the world's most earthquake-prone countries, sitting atop four tectonic plates --
slabs that move across the earth's surface. |
