Kanto quake injures residents, prompts weeklong alert
Residents in Tokyo and surrounding prefectures face possible further strong shaking, while rail delays and elevator incidents added to disruption Sunday.
pühapäev, 23. august 2026 10:27
A magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck southern Ibaraki Prefecture around 2 a.m. Sunday, jolting Tokyo and the wider Kanto region and prompting warnings to stay alert for similar shaking over the next week. More than 30 people were injured, most of them lightly.
The quake hit at a depth of 68 kilometers, The Japan Times reported on Aug. 23. It registered lower 5 on Japan’s seven-point shindo seismic scale in Tokyo’s Adachi Ward and in parts of Ibaraki, Saitama and Chiba prefectures, while level 4 shaking was recorded in other areas of Tokyo and in Tochigi, Gunma and Kanagawa prefectures.
The Japan Meteorological Agency says lower 5 shaking can knock objects off shelves and force people to hold on to steady themselves. The shaking lasted up to a minute in some areas and was felt shortly after earthquake early warning alarms sounded on mobile phones.
NHK reported at least nine injuries in Saitama Prefecture and eight in Kanagawa Prefecture. It also reported a partial ceiling collapse at Ushiku City Hall in Ushiku, Ibaraki Prefecture. Minor injuries were reported in Tokyo, where fire officials said people had been trapped in elevators. No tsunami alert was issued.
JR East reported delays Sunday morning on several lines, including the Joban, Keihin Tohoku, Shonan Shinjuku, Musashino, Chuo-Sobu and Sotobo lines, as well as others across Kanto. Level 2 long-period ground motion, slow and prolonged shaking that can make high-rise buildings sway, was observed in Tokyo’s 23 wards and in Saitama and Chiba prefectures.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi wrote on X within an hour of the quake that officials were checking the extent of damage and that a liaison office had been set up at the Prime Minister’s Office Crisis Management Center. “To those in the areas where the shaking was strong, I ask that you continue to remain vigilant for the possibility of another earthquake of similar magnitude,” she said.
Toeta nwsTraili
nwsTrail on sõltumatu välisuudiste veebileht. Sinu toetus aitab hoida sisu tasuta.
