TOKYO (April 16): A series of earthquakes struck Japan’s southern island of Kyushu overnight, one more powerful than the temblor that hit Kumamoto a day earlier. Several deaths were reported.
A magnitude 7.3 quake occurred at a depth of 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) at 1:25 a.m. local time, causing strong vibrations across the island that has a population of 13 million people. The shaking was most powerful close to Mt. Aso, an active volcano and popular tourist site. The temblor was followed by a series of aftershocks that were almost at the the top of Japan’s intensity scale. Japanese media reported multiple fatalities, with NHK saying at least 11 people were confirmed dead, while more than 760 were receiving treatment for injuries.
TV pictures showed footage of houses crushed and landslides that swallowed up roads and railway lines in the village of Minamiaso. Authorities warned of further damage, with strong rain expected to worsen conditions tonight. A tsunami warning was briefly issued after the earthquake, but lifted less than an hour later. There was no impact from the earthquakes on nearby nuclear plants, with Kyushu Electric Power Co.’s Sendai facility, which houses the only operating reactors in Japan, continuing to run.
An official from the Japan Meteorological Agency speaking on NHK said that the initial magnitude 6.4-level event that shook Kumamoto late on Thursday night, which killed at least nine people, was a foreshock to the overnight earthquake.
Kumamoto airport has been closed after suffering damage, with all flights canceled. More than 200,000 homes were without power, according to Kyushu Electric Power Co.
Economic Impact
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said at a news conference that significant damage is feared from the fresh quakes and said the government would do all in its power to assist. He said no damage has been reported to the nuclear power stations in Kagoshima and Saga prefectures. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s trip to Kumamoto planned for Saturday has been canceled following the new quakes, Suga said.
Speaking in Washington, Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda said he was monitoring the economic impact of the disaster, which he said was hard to estimate.
The immediate effect on companies was unclear. A Sony Corp. image sensor plant remained off-line since Thursday’s temblor, with the electronics producer yet to decide when to restart the facility, spokeswoman Mami Imada said by phone. Toyota Motor Corp. had alerady halted production at three plants in Kyushu before the latest quakes.
Nikkei 225 Stock Average futures traded in Osaka extended losses after the 1:25 a.m. earthquake, closing down 0.9 percent at 3 a.m. in Tokyo. The yen gained 0.6 percent to 108.76 per dollar.