Quake shakes Japan, causes light damage
A strong earthquake struck Saturday off northern Japan, shaking buildings even in Tokyo and triggering a tsunami advisory for a part of the northern coast. No major damage was reported, but at least three people had minor injuries.
TheU.S. Geological Surveyput the strength at magnitude7.0 and depth at33.5 miles. The shaking started just before 6:10 p.m.
The quake was centered off the coast of Miyagi prefecture in the country’s rugged northeast, which was heavily damaged during the huge earthquake and tsunami of 2011 that left more than 18,000 people dead.
Japan’ s Meteorological Agencyissued an advisoryfor a tsunami up to 1 meterin height for Miyagi prefecture immediately after the quake but lifted it about90 minutes later.
Officials there said there were no immediate reports of damage.
The Fire and Disaster Management Agency said two elderly women in Miyagi prefecture were slightly injured, one who was banged in the head by a door and the other hit on the shoulder by furniture. In neighboring Iwate prefecture, a woman in her 50s fell and cut her mouth.
The strong temblor caused a temporary blackout in some areas and suspended bullet train services in the area, according to the East Japan Railway Co.
Eruption of Iceland volcano easing
The eruption of along dorm ant volcano that sent streams of lava flowing across a small valley in southwestern Iceland is easing and shouldn’t interfere with air travel, the Icelandic Meteorological Office said Saturday.
The fissure eruption began at around 8:45 p.m. Friday in the Gelding a Valley, about 20 miles southwest of the capital, Reykjavik, the Met Office said. The eruption is “minor,” and there were no signs of ash or dust that could disrupt aviation, the agency said.
“Themore we see, the smaller this eruption gets,” geophysicist Pall Einarsson said Saturday after monitoring the volcano throughout the night.
This southwestern corner of Iceland is the most heavily populated part of the country. The Department of Emergency Management said it doesn’t anticipate evacuations, unless levels of volcanic gases rise significantly.
Keflavik Airport, Iceland’s international air traffic hub, said flights have remained on schedule since the eruption began.
1 dead after getting vaccine in Denmark
Two hospital workers in Denmark fell seriously ill after getting the Astra Zeneca vaccine, according to local reports. One of them has died.
The patients were admitted to a hospital with blood clots and brain hemorrhage. They began developing symptoms within 14 days of getting vaccinated, the authority that runs public hospitals in Copenhagen said, according to Reuters.
The Danish Medicines Agency said it’s investigating if their condition was linked to the vaccine.
Last week, more than a dozen European countries paused the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine after cases of rare blood clots were reported, but no evidence has been found to link the shot and the clots.