Japan: 5.7 magnitude earthquake hits main island amid typhoon Hagibis

An earthquake of magnitude 5.7 jolted the Kanto region of Japan, on October 12, amidst the powerful typhoon hit the island nation. According to the Japanese Meteorological Agency (JMA), the epicentre of the quake was in the Pacific Ocean off Chiba Prefecture which struck at 6.22 pm local time. The quake recorded a 4 in southern Chiba Prefecture on Japan’s quake intensity scale of 7 and 3 in the 23 wards of central Tokyo. There have been no immediate reports on damage due to the quake.

Tokyo hit by Hagibis

There has been heavy downpour in Tokyo and surrounding areas along with strong winds due to Hagibis.

The meteorological agency official Yasushi Kajihara had warned of heavy rainfall saying “Be ready for rainfall of the kind that you have never experienced”. Kajihara further added, “Take all measures necessary to save your life,” asking people living near rivers to take shelter on the second floor or higher of a strong building.

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Evacuation before typhoon

According to a Japanese daily, even after the evacuating 1,70,000 people from coastal areas, two people died, and 62 got injured due to the storm. “In the 28 years of my life, this is the first time I’ve had to evacuate even before a typhoon has landed,” said Yusuke Ikegaya, a Shizuoka resident.

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Earthquake of 2011 triggering Fukushima nuclear disaster

Japan is vulnerable to frequent earthquakes and has more than 100 active volcanoes. In 2011, the country recorded one of the largest earthquakes in history which triggered the catastrophic Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster. It was the most severe nuclear disaster since the Chernobyl disaster of 1986. It was triggered by the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami on 11 March 2011. But investigations showed that the Fukushima catastrophe was man-made in nature and could have been avoided even after the earthquake. The National Diet of Japan Fukushima Nuclear Accident Independent Investigation Commission (NAIIC) found out that the plant operator had failed to meet basic safety requirements which led to the disaster.

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Read: Heavy Rain, Winds Lash Tokyo As Powerful Typhoon Hagibis Approaches

(Inputs from AP)