Magnitude 5.9 earthquake in Japan's Ibaraki injures at least 22

A magnitude 5.9 earthquake jolted southern Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan, early on May 23, leaving at least 22 people injured and causing various disruptions. The quake, which occurred at 2 a.m. local time (1 a.m. Taiwan time), registered a maximum seismic intensity of 5-lower in Ibaraki, Saitama, Chiba, and parts of Tokyo. Tremors of intensity 4 were felt in Fukushima, Tochigi, Gunma, and Kanagawa prefectures.

Injuries were reported across several prefectures, with Saitama recording nine, Kanagawa eight, Chiba four, and Ibaraki one. Most injuries were attributed to falls or tumbles down stairs. While the exact number of casualties is still being tallied, no building collapses have been reported.

Disruptions included burst water pipes in Tsukuba City, Ibaraki, leading to leaks. In Tokyo's Adachi Ward, an automatic fire suppression system at a supermarket discharged, possibly triggered by the earthquake, and several areas experienced water outages. Elevator services were halted in municipal buildings in Kashiwa and Yachiyo cities, Chiba Prefecture. Additionally, building entrances in Matsudo and Noda cities were jammed, trapping residents, prompting fire department intervention.

Authorities are currently inspecting the damage and assessing the full impact of the earthquake. The event highlights the ongoing seismic activity in the region and the preparedness measures in place for such natural disasters.