5.9-Magnitude Earthquake Shakes Eastern Japan, Disrupts Trains and Injures Several

An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.9 jolted eastern Japan, including Tokyo, early Sunday morning, disrupting transportation services and causing several injuries. The tremor struck around 2:00 a.m. local time, with its epicenter located in the southern part of Ibaraki Prefecture at a depth of 68 kilometers, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA).

The JMA confirmed that the earthquake did not trigger a tsunami. However, it registered an intensity of "5-lower" on Japan's seismic scale, which peaks at 7, in parts of Ibaraki Prefecture and central Tokyo. This intensity level indicates significant shaking that can cause objects to fall and lead to minor structural damage.

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The earthquake that occurred on Sunday was felt across a wide area of Japan, including the country's northeastern and central regions.

Following the quake, train services experienced delays at the start of operations, as reported by JR East and other railway operators. Local fire departments confirmed several injuries, including a young man and an elderly woman in Saitama, north of Tokyo, and three individuals in Kawasaki, just south of the capital. In Tokyo's Koto Ward, a water main burst, prompting an investigation by the metropolitan government into a potential link to the earthquake.

Nuclear power plant operators reported no abnormalities at the Tokai No. 2 Nuclear Power Plant in Ibaraki Prefecture, nor at the Fukushima Daiichi or Fukushima Daini plants in northeastern Japan. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi instructed officials to assess the damage and provide timely public information. The JMA urged vigilance for potential aftershocks with an intensity of "5-lower" over the coming week, particularly within the next two to three days.

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She had instructed officials to assess the extent of the damage and provide timely information to the public.