Large quake hits northern Japan
Tuesday, August 16, 2005Posted: 0404 GMT (1204 HKT) TOKYO, Japan --
A magnitude 6.8 earthquake has hit northern Japan, triggering a tsunami alert in its aftermath, the Japanese Meteorological Agency reports.
The agency reported the quake produced an ocean wave of about 50 centimeters (20 inches), but a tsunami watch was posted in the immediate aftermath of the tremor.
The U.S. Geological Survey gauged the preliminary magnitude of the quake at 7.0, making it a major earthquake.
The quake was located off the northeast coast of the Japanese island of Honshu, about 80 kilometers (50 miles) east-northeast of the city of Sendai, the USGS reported.
The shaking could be felt as far away as Tokyo, about 350 kilometers (220 miles) southwest of the epicenter.
About 80 people were injured when the roof on an indoor pool collapsed in Sendai, the Associated Press reported.
Meanwhile, transport systems have been shut down, according to Japan's Kyodo news service, including Sendai's subway system. Bullet train services on the Joetsu and Nagano lines have been suspended.
Kyodo also says a sports facility in Sendai has been damaged.
Japan is one of the world's most earthquake-prone countries, sitting at the juncture of four tectonic plates.
On July 23, a magnitude-6.0 quake shook the Tokyo area, injuring more than two dozen people and suspending flights and trains for hours.
posted by ... @ 9:09 PM
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