5.8-magnitude earthquake strikes off Japan’s Aomori coast

A 5.8-magnitude earthquake struck off Aomori Prefecture in northern Japan on Saturday. No tsunami advisory was issued. The tremor came days after a powerful earthquake in Kumamoto Prefecture, where the death toll has risen to 35.

Tokyo: An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.8 struck off Aomori Prefecture in northern Japan on Saturday, the country’s weather agency said.

The temblor occurred at 11:48 am local time off Aomori’s Pacific coast at a depth of 80 km, measuring 4 on Japan’s seven-point seismic intensity scale, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.

---

The quake’s epicentre was located at a latitude of 41.3 degrees north and a longitude of 142.0 degrees east, reports Xinhua news agency.

No tsunami advisory was issued.

The quake comes days after another powerful earthquake struck Kumamoto Prefecture at around 4.27 pm local time on Tuesday, registering the maximum intensity of 7 on Japan’s seismic scale in the worst-hit areas and causing widespread damage across the prefecture.

On Friday, the prefectural government announced that the death toll from the powerful earthquake had risen to 35.

At a disaster response headquarters meeting held on Friday morning, Kumamoto Prefecture government officials said 35 people had died, including those whose deaths are still being investigated to determine whether they were caused by the strong tremor.

Meanwhile, while travelling from Yatsushiro to Uki, another city severely affected by the disaster, Xinhua reporters observed buckled and cracked roads, malfunctioning traffic signals and long queues at petrol stations. Many people waiting for fuel said they intended to spend the night in their vehicles.

In the Ogawa district of Uki City, a civic activity centre had been converted into an evacuation shelter after the earthquake, where nearly 500 evacuees, many of them elderly people and children, were staying.

Families sat on the floor surrounded by backpacks, clothing and bottled water. Some leaned against walls to rest, while others laid out sleeping mats in preparation for the night. More than a dozen portable toilets had been installed outside.