5-magnitude earthquakes strike off mountainous Nagano in Japan: NHK
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The quake hit Omachi in northern Nagano around 1.20pm.
PHOTO: SCREENGRAB FROM USGS
TOKYO – Two strong earthquakes jolted Japan’s mountainous Nagano prefecture on April 18, with the first measuring a preliminary 5 magnitude followed by another registering 5.1 magnitude.
The Japan Meteorological Agency warned of aftershocks on a similar scale over the next week or so. No tsunami warnings were issued.
The first major quake occurred at 1.20pm in Omachi and registered an upper 5 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale of 7, according to the agency.
At 2.54pm, another quake registering lower 5 hit Omachi and nearby areas.
Upper 5 is defined by the agency as a level at which many people find it difficult to walk.
There were no immediate reports of injuries or property damage due to the quake in the landlocked prefecture.
Shinkansen bullet train services were temporarily suspended between Karuizawa and Itoigawa stations, according to JR East.
Earthquakes are common in Japan, one of the world’s most seismically active areas. Japan accounts for about a fifth of the world’s earthquakes of 6 magnitude or greater. KYODO NEWS, REUTERS
