5.9 earthquake rattles Japan: 23 injured, trains disrupted; no tsunami threat

A 5.9 magnitude earthquake struck eastern Japan on Sunday morning, causing injuries to over 20 people, primarily in the Tokyo area. The quake, which originated in southern Ibaraki prefecture at a depth of about 70 kilometers, was felt strongly across the region but posed no tsunami threat. At least 23 individuals were injured across four prefectures, with the majority suffering minor injuries due to being startled awake and sustaining falls or collisions with furniture and doors.

Notably, an elderly woman in Yokohama sustained a serious hip injury when she fell from her bed. The strong shaking disrupted transportation, causing delays for express trains serving Tokyo and Narita Airport, as well as some local services in northeastern areas. Shinkansen bullet trains, however, continued to operate normally. Emergency alerts were issued via mobile phones, and Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi established a task force to manage the response.

Some infrastructure damage occurred, including a burst underground water pipe in Tokyo's Koto ward that flooded a portion of a road before being repaired. Power outages affected approximately 460 homes in Tokyo, though electricity was restored by the following morning. Despite these disruptions, there were no reports of issues at nuclear power plants or other facilities handling nuclear materials, according to the Nuclear Regulation Authority.

This earthquake follows a stronger magnitude 7.1 quake that struck the Kumamoto area on Japan's southernmost main island weeks prior, resulting in 38 deaths, 364 injuries, and widespread destruction.