6.2 quake rattles Japan's Shimane Prefecture, no major damage reported
What's the story
A powerful earthquake struck off the coast of western Japan on Tuesday at 10:18am local time (6:48 IST). Its epicenter was in Shimane Prefecture, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA). The agency reported the earthquake as a 6.2 magnitude, while the US Geological Survey (USGS) recorded it slightly lower at 5.8, owing to differing measurement scales, with USGS using the Moment Magnitude Scale, measuring energy, and JMA relying on the Shindo scale, measuring ground shaking.
Aftershocks
Aftershocks follow main quake, no tsunami warning issued
Although the tremor shook several parts of the region and rattled homes, no major damage or injuries have been reported so far. The JMA also reported a series of aftershocks in the same region, with magnitudes ranging from 4.5 to 5.4. However, none of these aftershocks triggered tsunami alerts. The Japanese military is currently conducting an aerial damage assessment in the affected areas.
Nuclear status
Shimane Nuclear Power Station unaffected by earthquake
Chugoku Electric, which runs the Shimane Nuclear Power Station about 32km away from the epicenter, reported no abnormalities at the plant till 10:45am. The plant's No. 2 unit has been operational since December 2022 after being shut down following the Fukushima disasters in March 2011. Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority also confirmed there were no irregularities at the facility post-quake.
Train disruption
Power blackout affects Shinkansen bullet train network
However, a power blackout affected parts of the Shinkansen bullet train network, operator JR West said. It remains unclear if this disruption was related to the earthquake. Japan is one of the most seismically active countries in the world, located at the intersection of four tectonic plates along the Pacific Ring of Fire. The country experiences around 1,500 earthquakes annually, most of which are minor but can still be damaging.