Several individuals sustained injuries following a 6.4-magnitude earthquake that hit Shimane Prefecture in western Japan. The earthquake struck at 10:18 a.m. local time in eastern Shimane Prefecture at a depth of about 10 kilometers, registering an upper 5 on Japan’s seismic scale of 7 in the most affected areas in Shimane and Tottori prefectures, as per the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA).
The quake’s epicenter was situated at a latitude of 35.3 degrees north and a longitude of 133.2 degrees east. Subsequently, two aftershocks, measuring 5.1 and 5.4 in magnitude, occurred in the same region around 10:28 a.m. and 10:37 a.m. local time, respectively, according to the JMA. In Matsue City, Shimane Prefecture, four individuals were hospitalized due to injuries sustained during the earthquake, including falls.
Reports from Xinhua news agency, citing public broadcaster NHK, indicated damage to the roofs of several houses in Matsue City. Additionally, Sakaiminato City in neighboring Tottori Prefecture reported cracks on roads, while in Fukuyama City of Hiroshima Prefecture, located south of the epicenter, two individuals were injured as a result of the earthquake.
The JMA, after revising the quake’s magnitude from 6.2, noted that long-period ground motions up to the maximum level 4 were observed in western Tottori Prefecture. Long-period ground motion involves intense, slow, and sustained seismic waves from significant earthquakes, which can lead to swaying of high-rise buildings, particularly affecting those on upper floors.
