Quake in Southern Japan Damages Roads, Buildings, NHK Reports

(Bloomberg) -- An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.6 struck off the coast of Japan’s southern island of Kyushu early Saturday, damaging roads and buildings, national broadcaster NHK reported. 

Minor injuries were reported in five prefectures near the earthquake’s epicenter, according to the broadcaster. Some roads in southern Oita and Miyazaki were closed early Saturday after being damaged by rockfalls, collapsed trees and ruptured water pipes, NHK said. The areas experienced shaking of 5+ on Japan’s intensity scale during the quake.

The quake struck at 1:08am off Japan’s southern coast at a depth of 45 kilometers (28 miles), but there were no signs that it would trigger a a tsunami, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. The quake’s magnitude was revised up from a preliminary measurement of 6.4.

In a statement released overnight, the agency warned there’s a heightened risk of falling rocks and landslides in the areas that witnessed strong shaking. It also urged residents to be prepared for the possibility that an earthquake with a maximum seismic intensity of 5 or higher on Japan’s scale will occur in the next few days. 

Some areas near the epicenter of the quake lost power overnight, but the nearby Sendai and Genkai nuclear power stations are operating normally, according to Kyushu Electric Power. Train operator JR Kyushu suspended some lines in the Oita and Miyazaki areas Saturday.

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