3 dead, 100 hurt as quake hits Osaka

TOKYO — A strong earthquake knocked over walls and set off fires around metropolitan Osaka in western Japan early today, killing at least three people and injuring more than 100.

The Osaka prefectural government’s disaster management department said two people were found dead, while the Ibaraki city official confirmed a third victim.

The Fire and Disaster Management Agency said more than 70 were injured in Osaka and nearby prefectures of Hyogo and Kyoto, and more reports of injury and damage were still coming in.

One of the dead was a 9-year-old girl who was knocked down by a concrete wall at her elementary school as she walked by.

A man in his 80s died in the collapse of a concrete wall in Osaka city. An 84-year-old man in nearby Ibaraki died after a bookshelf fell on top of him at home, according to city officials.

The magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck shortly after 8 a.m. north of Osaka at a depth of about 13 kilometres (8 miles), the Japan Meteorological Agency said. The strongest shaking was north of Osaka, but the quake rattled large parts of western Japan, including Kyoto.

The quake knocked over walls, broke windows and set off scattered building fires. It toppled book shelves in homes and scattered goods on shop floors. It also cracked roads and broke water pipes, leaving homes without water.

The morning commute was seriously disrupted, as dozens of domestic flights in and out of Osaka were grounded, while train and subway service in the Osaka area including the bullet train were suspended to check for damage.

Passengers were seen exiting trains on the tracks between stations, and in neighbourhoods around Osaka people streamed out of their homes and into the streets seeking safety.