A shattered window at an imported car dealership in Toyohashi, Aichi Prefecture, Japan, on Sunday, after a magnitude-5.7 earthquake struck central Japan in the early morning hours, injuring dozens, breaking windows and disrupting train services. [AFP]
A shattered window at an imported car dealership in Toyohashi, Aichi Prefecture, Japan, on Sunday, after a magnitude-5.7 earthquake struck central Japan in the early morning hours, injuring dozens, breaking windows and disrupting train services. [AFP]

A magnitude-5.7 earthquake struck western Shizuoka Prefecture in central Japan early Sunday, injuring at least 15 people across Aichi and Shizuoka prefectures. The Japan Meteorological Agency warned that another major earthquake could occur within the next few days.

According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, the quake hit western Shizuoka Prefecture at around 1:04 a.m. The epicenter was estimated at a depth of 40 kilometers, and no tsunami was generated.

The strongest shaking — a lower 5 on Japan's seismic intensity scale — was recorded in Chita, Aichi Prefecture. An intensity of lower 5 is strong enough to make most physical activity difficult and can topple unsecured furniture.

Lower-5 shaking was also felt in Seto, Handa, Kariya, Toyota, Shinshiro, Tokai, Miyoshi and Togo in Aichi Prefecture, as well as in Hamana Ward of Hamamatsu in Shizuoka Prefecture, Ena in Gifu Prefecture and Urugimura in Nagano Prefecture.

An intensity of lower 5 causes most people to feel fear, makes it difficult to remain standing without holding onto something, and can send dishes and books tumbling from shelves.

Injuries were reported across the affected areas. According to NHK and other outlets, at least 12 people in Aichi Prefecture were hurt — some hitting their heads, others falling. Three more injuries were reported in Shizuoka Prefecture.

In Obu, Aichi Prefecture, where an intensity of 4 was recorded, a person in their 20s jumped from the second floor of an apartment building to the first floor in a panic and was injured. The person was taken to hospital; the extent of the injuries was not immediately confirmed.

In Toyota, Aichi Prefecture, where lower-5 intensity was recorded, a 43-year-old man and an 88-year-old woman fell and struck their heads. Both sustained minor injuries and were taken to hospital. In Tokoname, a person in their 50s fractured their right ankle after falling while evacuating.

Train services were also disrupted. The Tokaido Shinkansen reduced speed between Shizuoka and Hashima in Gifu Prefecture, causing delays on some services. Some conventional lines suspended operations from their first trains of the day.

The Japan Meteorological Agency held a news conference in the early morning hours, urging the public to remain alert. "For about the next week, caution is needed for earthquakes of up to lower-5 intensity," the agency said, adding that the risk of a major earthquake was particularly elevated through Monday and Tuesday.


bbo@heraldcorp.com