A magnitude 6.5 earthquake hit Japan on Friday. This is reported by the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA). At least 21 people were injured, and one was killed.
At 2:42 p.m. (6:42 a.m. UK time), the earthquake hit the Ishikawa region. At first, the strength was estimated at 6.3, but the JMA later changed that. In Suzu, the earthquake hit level 6 on Japan’s Shindo scale, which goes up to 7, meaning it could trigger major landslides.
According to a Japanese government spokesman, one person was killed after falling from a ladder during the shock. At least three buildings have been destroyed, and one person is still trapped under the rubble. One victim could already be exhumed and, like twenty others injured, was taken to hospital.
Meteorologists have warned the public about possible aftershocks and landslides but emphasized that there is no tsunami risk.
The nuclear power plants located in the affected area would not have been damaged. Some landslides were reported. According to the Japan Railway, high-speed train traffic between Nagano and Kanazawa was temporarily interrupted but resumed in the afternoon. Because Friday is a public holiday in Japan, many residents use the train network to see their families this weekend.
Earthquakes are common in Japan, on the Ring of Fire, a zone of high seismic activity around the Pacific Ocean.