5.7-Magnitude Tremor Injures Dozens and Halts Shinkansen Trains in Central Japan
A 5.7-magnitude earthquake struck Shizuoka Prefecture in central Japan at 1:04 a.m. on Sunday, shattering storefront windows and disrupting regional infrastructure. Local residents and morning commuters faced immediate disruptions as rail operators halted operations across central transit corridors, including high-speed Shinkansen bullet train lines.
Emergency Responders Treat Dozens of Injuries Across Shizuoka and Aichi
Emergency responders in Aichi received 16 reports of mostly minor injuries, while authorities in neighbouring Shizuoka confirmed at least three women sought emergency medical care, including a woman in her nineties who injured her shoulder after falling from bed during the shaking. Independent reports from Chunichi Shimbun and Tokai Television indicated at least 24 people suffered injuries across the two regions. Physical damage was reported across multiple municipalities, including shattered dealership windows in Toyohashi city and displaced merchandise across large retail stores in Toyota city, though the Japan Meteorological Agency confirmed no tsunami warning was issued and no fatalities occurred. The shaking extended as far west as Osaka, where local media reported a foreign resident was taken to hospital after falling from a second-floor apartment when startled by the quake.
The Japan Meteorological Agency recorded a separate 4.3-magnitude earthquake in the Kumamoto region at 10:53 a.m. on Sunday, tapping into ongoing recovery concerns for a southwestern area where a 7.1-magnitude tremor killed 38 people, flattened homes, and knocked out power to tens of thousands in July.
