3 killed in Japanese quake
TOKYO: A magnitude 6.1 earthquake shook Osaka, Japan’s secondbiggest city, yesterday, killing three people, halting factory lines and bursting water mains, government officials and public broadcaster NHK said.
No tsunami warning was issued. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said authorities were assessing damage and their top priority was the safety of residents. About 150 people were injured, NHK said.
Live footage showed burst water mains and a house on fire after the quake hit just before 8am (11am NZ time). The epicentre was just north of Osaka city at a depth of 13km, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.
The quake struck an important industrial area and production was halted at factories including Panasonic, Daihatsu Motor Co, Kubota Corp and Daikin Industries. Osaka Gas Co said it would take eight to 12 days to resume piped gas supplies to more than 110,000 customers.
NHK and other Japanese media said collapsing walls had killed an 80yearold man and a 9yearold girl, and that another man in his 80s was crushed by a toppling bookcase. The government confirmed two of the deaths.
‘‘We were sleeping and it woke us up abruptly,’’ said Kate Kilpatrick (19), an American who was staying in Osaka when the quake hit. ‘‘It was so terrifying because this is my first earthquake.’’
No irregularities were detected at the Mihama, Takahama and Ohi nuclear plants to the north of Osaka, Kansai Electric Power said. More than 170,000 households in Osaka and neighbouring Hyogo prefecture lost power temporarily but it was restored within two hours, the utility said.
Osaka prefecture, which includes the city and surrounding areas, has a population of 8.8 million. The city is close to Kobe, which was hit by a deadly magnitude 6.9 quake in 1995. — Reuters