Indonesia is the latest victim of Mother Nature as it was struck by a moderate earthquake earlier today at 11.22am. The quake measured 5.2 on the Richter scale. Its epicentre was 186km northeast of Ambon, Indonesia, and 1,513km southeast of Semporna, Sabah. No tsunami warning was issued.
Japan however, measured a higher number on the scales.
A strong 6.3 earthquake hit southern Japan early Friday morning injuring 17 people, reports said as officials warned residents to be alert of the danger of landslides to follow suit. The earthquake which hit Tokyo showed no warnings of a tsunami nor does it show reports of major damage. Public broadcaster NHK said 17 people were injured but none of the injuries seemed to be life-threatening.
US Geological Survey said the epicentre of the quake which struck at 2.06am (1706 GMT Thursday) was located 13 kilometres north of the city of Kunisaki and the quake hit a depth of 82 kilometres.
Japan’s Meteorological Agency said there was no risk of a tsunami but urged residents to stay on alert.
“We fear the danger of rockfalls and landslides has increased” in areas that felt strong tremors, Yohei Hasegawa, director of the agency’s earthquake and tsunami observation division, told a news conference.
The quake, which the Japanese agency measured as having a preliminary magnitude of 6.2, registered a strong intensity in parts of southwestern Shikoku, the main island of Honshu and southern Kyushu islands. No abnormalities were detected at the Ikata nuclear plant in Ehime prefecture or at the Shimane plant in Shimane prefecture.
