Eastern Japan quake injures 23, disrupts Tokyo transport with no tsunami risk

A moderate earthquake struck eastern Japan and shook the Tokyo region early Sunday, injuring residents and disrupting services. Officials ruled out a tsunami and reported no issues at nuclear facilities, limiting broader alarm.

In Short

• The tremor originated in southern Ibaraki at a depth of 70 kilometres
• Most injuries happened after residents fell or hit furniture in panic
• Express trains to Narita Airport and local services faced temporary delays

A moderate earthquake struck eastern Japan, including the Tokyo area, early Sunday, injuring 23 people, most of them slightly, and causing some disruption to transport and power supply. Officials said there was no danger of a tsunami.

The Japan Meteorological Agency said the quake had a preliminary magnitude of 5.9 and occurred in southern Ibaraki prefecture at a depth of 70 kilometres, an area that is prone to frequent earthquakes. The US Geological Survey recorded a preliminary magnitude of 5.8. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said on X that the government had set up a task force to assess possible damage.

According to prefectural officials, the injured were reported from four prefectures in the region: nine in Saitama, nine in Kanagawa, four in Chiba and one in Ibaraki. Most were hurt after falling or hitting furniture or doors when they were startled awake by the quake and got out of bed in a panic. The Yomiuri newspaper reported that a woman in her 80s in Yokohama, in Kanagawa prefecture, fell off her bed and suffered a serious hip injury.

The quake also affected transport services. East Japan Railway Company said express trains serving Tokyo and Narita Airport, as well as other local trains in north-eastern regions, were delayed. However, Shinkansen bullet train services were running normally.

The tremor triggered emergency earthquake alerts on mobile phones and was strongly felt in Tokyo. NHK public television showed traffic in nearby cities, including Mito and Saitama, appearing normal. In Tokyo's eastern ward of Koto, an underground water pipe ruptured and water spilled onto the road, according to NHK footage. The pipe was later repaired and the leak was stopped. TEPCO Power Grid said the earthquake caused blackouts in about 460 homes in Tokyo, but power was restored by later Sunday morning.

The Nuclear Regulation Authority said there were no reports of anomalies at about a dozen nuclear power plants and other facilities handling nuclear materials. Last month, a magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck the Kumamoto area on Japan's southernmost main island of Kyushu, killing 38 people and injuring 364. It also destroyed more than 1,500 buildings and damaged nearly 20,000 others.

Overall, the earthquake injured 23 people and caused limited disruption to transport and utilities, while officials reported no tsunami threat and no problems at nuclear facilities.

With PTI Inputs

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