Central Japan rocked by series of quakes, region braces for more

Tokyo: The Ishikawa Prefecture region in central Japan has been rocked by a series of earthquakes over the past two days, with the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) warning that further temblors could be imminent.

An earthquake with an estimated magnitude of 5.4 rocked the prefecture on Sunday at around 3:00 p.m. local time, with six people left injured by the quake that registered lower 6 on Japanese intensity scale that peaks at 7, Xinhua news agency reported.

Many people find it difficult to remain standing during a quake with an intensity of lower 6 and unsecured furniture could fall causing damage and possible injury, the JMA said.

With the region already shaken, a magnitude 5.0 earthquake shook the prefecture again on Monday at 10:31 a.m. local time. The quake registered upper 5 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale at the tip of the Noto Peninsula, the weather agency said.

As with Sunday's quake, no tsunami warning was issued and while minor damage such as merchandise falling of stores' shelves was reported, there were no reports of major damage or injuries, officials in the area said.

At nuclear power facilities in the area, which include Hokuriku Electric Power Co.'s Shika plant in Ishikawa, no abnormalities were reported, the central government said.

In a triple-whammy, a third quake with a preliminary magnitude of 4.2 jolted the prefecture again, sparking further concerns that the latest quake which registered 4 on Japan's seismic intensity scale, would not be the last the prefecture would see this week, as voiced by the JMA.

The series of quakes will likely have loosened the ground and with Japan experiencing mixed weather during rainy season, the JMA has warned of landslides and damage to houses.

The latest quakes are part of a series of seismic events that began in December 2020, local media quoted the weather agency as saying.