A strong quake of magnitude 6.0 on the Richter scale shook up the capital city of Tokyo in Japan early Monday morning. Unlike the quake in Chile and Mexico, this quake did not raise any alarm of a tsunami though, 17 people were slightly injured, as they stumbled while trying to take cover.
The quake, which struck at about 5:18 a.m., measured lower 5 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale of 7 in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo. The US Geological Survey said the quake had a magnitude of 6.0, revising it upwards from 5.8. According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, the focus is about 162 kilometers below the seafloor off Izu Oshima Island.
Experts said, the tremors were felt more strongly in the center of the Japanese capital than in surrounding regions due to the complex way the seismic waves travelled underground along tectonic and fault lines. The Japan Meteorological Agency said moderate aftershocks could possibly be felt for the next few days.
No major damage has been reported, although there have been some disruptions in public transport systems. The earthquake was the strongest seismic intensity level measured in central Tokyo since the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011.
Prior to this, an earthquake measuring 6.3 on the Richter scale was reported off Kyushu in southern Japan on the 13th of March. According to media reports several people were injured and water pipe burst in the city.
Japan's Islands have a long history of earthquakes and seismic activities as it is located near major tectonic plate boundaries and is situated on the Pacific Ring of Fire. In March 2011, about 18,000 people had died when a 9.0 magnitude sub-sea earthquake sent a towering tsunami barreling into Japan's northeast coast.
Earthquake in India
Two of the strongest earthquakes in India reported in history have been in Gujarat and Kashmir in 2001 and 2005 respectively. The Gujarat earthquake measured 7.7 on the Richter scale, while in Kashmir it was reported to be 7.5
