TOKYO: An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.5 hit a remote island in southwestern Japan on Thursday (Jul 3), the Japan Meteorological Agency said.
The earthquake’s epicentre was off the coast of the Tokara island chain in Kagoshima prefecture, nearly 1,200km from Tokyo, the agency said, adding that a tsunami warning had not been issued.
The quake hit at a depth of 20km, giving it a seismic intensity of ‘6 lower’ on Japan’s 1 to 7 scale on Akuseki Island, the agency said.
The 89 residents of the small southern island were urged by authorities to evacuate to a school playground, a municipal official told AFP.
No major damage has been reported.
The quake’s intensity is classified as a level that makes it “difficult to remain standing”, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.
More than 1,000 tremors with a seismic intensity of 1 or above on the Japanese scale have been detected around the island chain between Jun 21 and Jul 3, the agency said.
Source: CNA
