A strong M6.3 earthquake hit off southwestern Japan on Friday, injuring a man and disrupting local traffic networks. The 8:48 a.m. quake occurred in the sea off Miyazaki Prefecture at a depth of about 25 kilometers. Minor jolts were felt in wider areas including western Japan.
In Oita Prefecture, north of Miyazaki, a 79-year-old man was taken to hospital after tumbling from a stepladder while trimming garden trees. His condition is not life-threatening, local authorities said.
The agency warned another strong quake of similar intensity or larger could strike the region within a week, but dismissed concerns that Friday’s temblor could immediately trigger a megaquake along the Nankai Trough, which extends southwest from central Japan along the Pacific coastal regions.
けさ宮崎県で起きた #震度5弱 の地震。震源は宮崎県沖の日向灘。 #南海トラフ巨大地震 の想定震源域の西の端に位置しています。今回の震源の周辺では過去に規模の大きな地震が繰り返し発生しています。今回の地震は南海トラフ巨大地震に影響するのか、専門家に聞きました。 #nhk #NW9 pic.twitter.com/6n6lv3nkMH
— ニュースウオッチ９ (@nhk_nw9) May 10, 2019
The government says there is a 70-80 percent chance of the Nankai Trough quake — with a magnitude of 8 or 9, and which will generate a devastating tsunami resulting in an estimated death toll of up to 300,000 people — occurring in the next 30 years.
Friday’s quake briefly suspended shinkansen bullet train services on the island of Kyushu, causing delays of up to around 15 minutes, according to the operator. A speed limit of 50 kilometers per hour was set on some expressways.
No problems were reported on runways at airports in Miyazaki, Kumamoto and Kagoshima prefectures after safety checks, airlines said.
In Miyazaki Prefecture, where no major injuries were reported, many elevators at commercial and apartment buildings were halted by the quake, according to maintenance companies.
Kyushu Electric Power Co. said no abnormality was detected at its Sendai nuclear power plant in Kagoshima Prefecture, where two reactors are in operation. About 150 households in Ebino, Miyazaki Prefecture, suffered a temporary power blackout, it added.
Central government set up a liaison unit at the crisis management center of the prime minister’s office in Tokyo to gather information on the temblor.
