Japan: At least three killed as earthquake of magnitude 6.1 hits Osaka
The Japanese government said it was not aware of any reports of damage to nuclear power plants.
At least three people were killed after an earthquake shook the coastal city of Osaka in Japan on Monday, The Japan Times reported.
The earthquake, measuring 6.1 magnitude on the Japanese seismic scale of 7, hit at 7.58 am (around 4.30 am Indian time) and occurred at a depth of about 13 km in the northern part of Osaka Prefecture, the Japan Meteorological Agency said. No tsunami warning was issued.
A nine-year-old girl was confirmed dead when a wall surrounding a swimming pool fell on her, while a man in his 80s died after a bookshelf at his home fell on him, The Japan Times reported, quoting the Osaka Prefectural Government. Another 80-year-old man died when a wall collapsed on him.
Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said the government was not aware of any reports of damage to nuclear power plants near Osaka, such as the Takahama and Oi plants in Fukui Prefecture.
Suga said that following instructions issued by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, the government set up an emergency task force to gather information on the situation.
Abe told reporters that the government was “working united, with its first priority on saving people’s lives”, reported Channel NewsAsia. “[T]he government has been working together to collect and disseminate information and in rescue activities,” Abe tweeted.
More than 60 bullet trains were cancelled in the morning, including the one running between Osaka and capital Tokyo. Both Kansai International and Kobe airport were closed temporarily but resumed operations after confirming that there was no structural damage to the facilities.
Car manufacturer Daihatsu said it had suspended operations at its plants in Osaka and nearby Kyoto, while consumer electronics firm Sharp said its factories were operating normally, reported The Guardian.
Power was restored to more than 1,70,000 homes that had earlier been cut off, regional utility Kansai Electric Power Company said, according to Bloomberg.
Japan sits on the so-called Pacific “Ring of Fire” where a large proportion of the world’s earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are recorded. In 2011, a magnitude 9 quake struck under the Pacific Ocean, and the resulting tsunami caused widespread damage and claimed thousands of lives.