TOKYO, Oct. 7 (BNA) A strong 5.9-magnitude earthquake shook the Tokyo region Thursday night, slightly injuring at least 12 people and halting trains and subways. Officials said there was no significant damage or risk of a tsunami.
The meteorological agency said the quake’s epicenter was in Chiba Prefecture, east of Tokyo, at a depth of 80 kilometers (48 miles), according to the Associated Press.
It caused buildings to sway and hanging objects like signs on to swing violently. Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said there were no anomalies in nuclear power facilities in the region.
The Tokyo Electric Power Holding Company said that about 250 homes in central Tokyo were temporarily without power.
The East Japan Railway Corporation said high-speed Shinkansen trains in and out of Tokyo were halted for safety checks but later resumed. The Yamanote loop line in Tokyo and the subway were also restarted.
Outside Tokyo’s Shinagawa station, where local trains were temporarily stopped, there was a long line of people trying to take taxis home.
Several elevators stopped automatically, including those in the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, temporarily trapping some people.
Fire and disaster officials said underground water pipes were damaged at dozens of sites in Tokyo. In one area, water was flowing from the ground.
New Prime Minister Fumio Kishida posted a message on Twitter urging people to “check the latest information and take action to protect their lives”.
Kishida returned to his office late Thursday to lead the government’s response.
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