Japan earthquake: Magnitude 6.0 quake hits Hokkaido after 5.9 tremor injures 40

Tokyo: An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.0 struck parts of the northern Japanese prefecture of Hokkaido on Sunday evening, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), making it the second quake that hit Japan today.

The epicentre of the quake was recorded off Hokkaido at a depth of 40 kilometres at 10:45 pm (local time). The seismic intensity scale was 4 out of ,a maximum of 7 as per JMA, which said that no tsunami warning was issued.

Earlier this morning, an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.9 hit the eastern region of the country, leaving over 40 people injured in Tokyo and neighbouring prefectures, authorities said, as per the official Kyodo News Agency.

The tremor promptedg a warning by the weather agency about similar quakes in the coming days.

The 2am (local time) quake had originated in the southern part of Ibaraki Prefecture at a depth of 68 kilometers and registered lower 5 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale of 7 in parts of the prefecture as well as in central Tokyo, the official media said.

The morning quake was felt across a wide swath of the country, including northeastern and central Japan. The earthquake triggered delays for early morning train operations, while several services were compelled to proceed at reduced speeds, according to JR East and regional transit operators.

According to the recorded parameters, the epicentre was located approximately 125 kilometres south of Obihiro and 36 kilometres south-southeast of Urakawa. Local authorities are monitoring the situation following the seismic event.

Kyodo News noted that a lower 5 quake is defined by the agency as shaking that causes most people to be frightened and to hold on to something stable, while objects may fall from shelves.

In the morning quake, transportation was impacted following the event. The start of some train services was delayed, while some trains ran at reduced speeds, according to JR East and other operators, as cited by Kyodo News. Furthermore, some express services operated by Tobu Railway remained halted.

Local fire departments reported that over 20 people were injured in the earthquake, including a young man and a woman in her 70s in Saitama, north of Tokyo, as well as nine in Kanagawa and four in Chiba prefectures. In Tokyo's Koto Ward, a water pipe ruptured, prompting metropolitan authorities to look into whether the damage was linked to the tremor, according to Kyodo News.

An intensity of lower 5 was also recorded in parts of Saitama and Chiba prefectures, while in central Tokyo, the same intensity was registered in Adachi Ward, and other parts of the capital recorded lower intensities, Kyodo News reported.

Following the early morning earthquake, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi announced that the government has established an emergency response task force at the PMO to assess the situation.