Magnitude 5.7 earthquake injures more than 20 in central Japan

A strong earthquake shook central Japan early on Sunday, injuring more than 20 people, shattering shop windows and disrupting Shinkansen bullet trains, CNA, Al Jazeera and The Hindu reported. No deaths were reported and no tsunami warning was issued.

The Japan Meteorological Agency said the magnitude 5.7 quake struck at 1.04am local time in Shizuoka Prefecture, west of Tokyo. Al Jazeera and The Hindu put its depth at about 40 kilometres. The Hindu reported that the US Geological Survey measured it at magnitude 5.5, and that official seismic assessments showed the strongest shaking was in neighbouring Aichi Prefecture.

Reported injury figures differed. Al Jazeera cited the Kyodo news agency as saying more than 20 people were hurt in Aichi and Shizuoka, while The Hindu, citing local media, said at least 22. According to CNA, an Aichi emergency official told AFP there had been 16 reports of mostly minor injuries, and the Chunichi Shimbun newspaper and Tokai Television reported at least 24 hurt across the two prefectures. CNA said Shizuoka authorities reported at least three women sought emergency care, including a woman in her nineties who hurt her shoulder falling from her bed.

Some of the injured fell on stairs as they tried to flee buildings, Al Jazeera reported, citing the Associated Press. Japanese television showed glass scattered across streets and a bookstore with mounds of books that had fallen from the shelves. CNA reported shattered windows at a car dealership in Toyohashi and merchandise falling at a large bookstore in Toyota city, both in Aichi.

Al Jazeera and The Hindu said the shaking reached a wide area including Hamamatsu, Kyoto, Nara and the prefectures of Yamanashi and Gifu, but was not felt in Tokyo. CNA said it was felt as far west as Osaka, where local media reported a foreign resident was taken to hospital after falling from a second-floor apartment when the shaking startled them. Osaka officials could not be reached for comment.

Some local train services were suspended and Shinkansen trains ran at slower speeds in affected areas as a precaution. Rail operator JR Central said Tokaido Shinkansen trains, which link Tokyo and Osaka, were delayed between Shizuoka and Gifu-Hashima stations after safety checks, Al Jazeera reported.

CNA also reported a separate magnitude 4.3 quake in the Kumamoto region at 10.53am on Sunday, with no immediate reports of serious damage or injuries. The southwestern region is still recovering from a magnitude 7.1 quake in July that killed 38 people.

The meteorological agency has warned people to be ready for possible strong quakes over the coming week, especially in the next two to three days. "Please be on the lookout for mudslides, falling rocks and the possible effects from rainfall," agency official Ayataka Ebita told reporters. He said no apparent change had been detected so far in the Nankai Trough, where scientists say a megaquake could occur.

Sources: The Japan Times, Magnitude 5.7 quake injures dozens in central Japan; CNA, Magnitude 5.7 quake injures dozens in central Japan; The Hindu, Strong earthquake shakes central Japan, shattering store windows, injuring at least 22; Al Jazeera, Earthquake hits central Japan, injuring more than 20 people.