Two earthquakes with magnitudes of 6,9 and 7,4 hit cental and western Japan on Sunday night, injuring at least 46 people and forcing more than 9 000 people to evacuate temporarily due to the danger of tidal waves, police and firefighters said on Monday.
The first quake occurred at 7.07pm on Sunday, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.
A tidal wave of 86cm was reported in Kushimoto, in western Wakayama prefecture, about 400km west of Tokyo.
The second quake hit at 11.57pm. The meteorological agency revised the size of the quake to a magnitude 7,4 from an earlier declaration of 7,3.
In central Mie prefecture, a total of 18 fishing ships and pleasure boats were overturned and four fishing ships in Wakayama prefecture sank.
People in 10 prefectures — including Osaka, Kyoto, Aichi, Shizuoka and Wakayama — were affected by the two quakes. Many of the injured tumbled down stairs or were hit by falling objects, causing broken bones and other injuries.
The meteorological agency has warned of the possibility of another strong quake in the area soon.
”We will carefully watch the earthquake activity,” said Masahiro Yamamoto, head of the agency’s quake and tidal wave watch department.
The agency said it was the first time since the 1944 Tonankai earthquake that large-magnitude quakes have occurred in rapid succession off the Kii Peninsula in Wakayama prefecute.
More than 1 200 people were killed in the 7,9 magnitude earthquake in December 1944, which hit the Tokai and Nankai regions in cental and western Japan, including Wakayama, Shizuoka and Aichi prefectures.
Experts had warned even before the 1995 Kobe quake in western Hyogo prefecture that there was a strong possibility of a large earthquake in the Tokai region, including Aichi and Shizuoka prefectures.
The 1995 Kobe quake, with a magnitude of 7,2, killed more than 6 400 people.
The epicentre of Sunday’s first earthquake was 110km east-southeast of Shiono Cape in Wakayama prefecture at the tip of the Kii Peninsula. It originated 10km below the sea surface.
The second quake also originated 10km below the sea, about 130km east of Shiono Cape.
Japan accounts for nearly 20% of the world’s earthquakes of magnitude six or stronger. — Sapa-DPA
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