Authorities reported that a significant earthquake with a magnitude of 6.6 had caused injuries to at least 12 individuals in western Japan the previous night.
According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, a quake occurred at 11:14 p.m. on Wednesday, registering a lower 6 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale of 7 in Ainan, Ehime Prefecture, and Sukumo, Kochi Prefecture, both located on Shikoku Island.
There were seven individuals who sustained minor injuries in Ehime, while in Sukumo, two elderly women experienced serious injuries, including broken bones, and a man in his 40s suffered minor injuries.
The local fire departments and prefectural governments reported these details. Additionally, two individuals sustained injuries in Oita Prefecture, located in the Kyushu region of southwestern Japan.
Shikoku Railway Co. has temporarily suspended some services on its lines starting from Thursday, but it is anticipated that operations will be fully resumed by Friday.
“We have managed to prevent the worst-case scenario,” stated Kochi Governor Seiji Hamada, highlighting the minimal human casualties and the positive strides made in the recovery operations.
According to Shikoku Electric Power, the No. 3 reactor at the Ikata nuclear complex in Ehime Prefecture experienced a valve defect, resulting in a 2 percent reduction in power output. However, overall operations were not significantly affected.
In Sukumo, a total of 23 individuals had to evacuate temporarily as a result of burst pipes at multiple locations, which also caused disruptions to the city’s water supplies. Due to fallen trees, ten residents in Yusuhara, Kochi Prefecture, were temporarily cut off.
The epicenter of the earthquake in the Bungo Channel was located in an area that a government panel has identified as being at high risk for a potentially catastrophic tremor with a magnitude of at least 8.0 within the next three decades.
During a press conference, an agency official stated that the recent temblor is not expected to significantly raise the likelihood of a major earthquake.
According to the agency, the earthquake took place in the Philippine Sea Plate, which operates on a distinct seismic mechanism compared to a potential Nankai Trough quake. The agency noted that the epicenter was situated approximately 10 kilometers below the plate boundary for a significant earthquake.
