One dead, dozens hurt in powerful Japan quake |
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Sun, 25 Mar 2007 09:10
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TOKYO (XFN-ASIA) - A powerful 6.9-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Japan on Sunday, killing one person, injuring more than 100 others and triggering a brief tsunami alert, officials said.Dozens of buildings collapsed and residents took cover in emergency shelters as aftershocks continued to rattle Japan's main island of Honshu following the initial quake, which hit at about 9.42 am (0042 GMT), triggering landslides.Japan's meteorological agency initially estimated the magnitude of the quake at 7.1 but later revised their figures.The agency lifted its tsunami warning for the Noto peninsula on the island's west coast facing the Sea of Japan (East Sea) after about two hours, as only small waves hit the shore.One woman, 52-year-old Kiyomi Miyakoshi, died after being hit by a block of stone. A total of 109 people were taken to hospital for treatment, including 10 who were seriously injured, local police said.More than 20 buildings collapsed in the city of Wajima, one of the most heavily damaged areas, the fire department said.'The tremors were really terrible,' said city official Masahiro Onishi. 'Lots of people were moving to shelters now, but we don't see any panic in my region.''We still feel aftershocks but people are acting orderly.'Some roads to the quake-hit area were blocked by landslides triggered by the huge quake, the police department said.The epicenter of the quake was located under the sea bed about 300 kilometers northwest of the capital Tokyo, where Prime Minister Shinzo Abe rushed to his office after the quake to monitor relief efforts.Two large earthquakes struck Sunday off the coast of the tiny Pacific island nation of Vanuatu at 0030 GMT, just before the Japan quake, but local authorities said they were unlikely to lead to any casualties.afp/mas
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