Moderate quake jolts central Japan, felt in Tokyo
Source: Reuters
(adds details) TOKYO, Jan 16 (Reuters) - A moderate earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.7 jolted central Japan on Tuesday, the Japan Meteorological Agency said. The quake, at 3:18 a.m. (1818 GMT), was also felt in Tokyo. There were no reports of injuries or damage. The focus of the tremor was 170 km (105 miles) below the surface of the earth, in Shizuoka prefecture, 150 km west of Tokyo, the JMA said. The earthquake measured 3 on the Japanese intensity scale, which measures ground motion. Earthquakes are common in Japan, one of the world's most seismically active areas. The country accounts for about 20 percent of the world's earthquakes of magnitude 6 or greater. In October 2004, an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.8 struck the Niigata region in northern Japan, killing 65 people and injuring more than 3,000. That was the deadliest quake since a magnitude 7.3 tremor hit the city of Kobe in 1995, killing more than 6,400.
| AlertNet news is provided by |  |
