April 15, 2016

JAPAN BREAKING NEWS: Violent 7.1 Magnitude Earthquake Just Struck Kumamoto Region. A Tsunami Advisory In Effect. 9 People Killed Yesterday By A 6.2 Magnitude Earthquake.


USA Today
written by Jane Onyanga-Omara, USA TODAY
Friday April 15, 2016

Aftershocks rocked southwestern Japan Friday, hours after a powerful earthquake killed 9 people and injured more than 1,000.

Rescuers pulled an eight-month old baby girl from rubble in the worst-hit town of Mashiki early Friday after the quake struck the Kumamoto Prefecture in southwestern Japan at about 9:26 p.m the previous night.

Earlier reports said the quake was magnitude-6.5, but the U.S. Geological Survey later downgraded it to magnitude-6.2.

The Japan Meteorological Agency said over 140 aftershocks were recorded by Friday evening and warned there could be more strong tremors in the coming days, the Kyodo news agency reported.

More than 44,000 people sought shelter in schools and community centers after the quake hit Thursday, with some spending the night outdoors, Reuters reported.

Buildings were damaged, highways crumbled and a bullet train was derailed by the quake, Japanese broadcaster NHK reported. It said no passengers were aboard the train and there were no injuries.

None of the nuclear power plants in the affected area reported damage, according to a statement released by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s office.

The quake registered the maximum intensity level of 7 on the Japanese seismic scale, the highest since the 2011 earthquake and tsunami that struck northeastern Japan. More than 16,000 people were killed and 2,500 remain missing in that disaster.

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