TOKYO, April 13 (RIA Novosti) – A series of moderate aftershocks are expected to follow a 6.0-magnitude earthquake that hit western Japan early on Saturday, the country’s meteorological agency (JMA) said.
The quake occurred at around 05:33 a.m. local time (20:33 GMT) near the Honshu Island at the depth of about 10 kilometers (6.2 miles). There have been local media reports of at least eight people suffering minor injuries in the quake, but no structural damage has been detected so far.
The JMA said at least eight 3.0-magnitude aftershocks were registered within 90 minutes after the initial tremor and warned that jolts up to 5.0-magnitude might continue through the next week.
The quake caused a brief disruption in air and rail transport in the immediate area, while local authorities rushed to assure the public that the tremor had not affected the work of nuclear power plants and a nuclear research center in the region.
Japan is still recovering from a massive 9.0-magnitude quake that hit the country two years ago and caused a tsunami, claiming over 15,500 lives and triggering a number of explosions at the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant.
The devastating tsunami caused a partial meltdown at three of the nuclear plant’s reactors. Radiation leaked into the atmosphere, soil and seawater, becoming the world's worst nuclear disaster after Chernobyl.
