Strong quake jolts southern and western Japan

By Staff
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TOKYO, June 12 (Reuters) A strong earthquake with a magnitude of 6.2 jolted western and southern Japan today, injuring at least seven people and disrupting transport.

The focus was 140 km below the earth's surface in Oita prefecture on Kyushu island, about 800 km southwest of Tokyo, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.

The quake halted some local rail services, while bullet trains were forced to run at reduced speed as safety checks were made, public broadcaster NHK said.

Major cities to feel the full effect included Hiroshima, site of the world's first atomic bomb attack and home to car manufacturing plants owned by Mazda Motor Corp.

At least seven people were injured, including an 82-year-old woman who broke her leg while walking her dog, Kyodo news agency reported.

Nuclear power plants and oil refineries were operating normally after the tremor, company officials said.

Mazda said the quake caused no damage to its plants in the region, although the start of production was slightly delayed.

The earthquake, which struck at 0501 hrs local time (0131 hrs IST), measured ''lower 5'' on the seven-point Japanese intensity scale, which measures ground motion. A quake with that reading can damage roads and less earthquake-resistant buildings.

No tsunami warning was issued.

About three hours later, another earthquake with a magnitude of 4.8 struck Japan's northernmost main island of Hokkaido, but there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage.

The May 27 earthquake that killed more than 5,700 people on the Indonesian island of Java had a magnitude of 6.3.

Earthquakes are common in Japan, one of the world's most seismically active areas. The country accounts for about 20 percent of the world's earthquakes of magnitude 6 or greater.

In October 2004, an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.8 struck the Niigata region of northern Japan, killing about 40 people and injuring more than 3,000.

That was the deadliest quake since a magnitude 7.2 tremor hit the city of Kobe in 1995, killing more than 6,400.

Reuters MA VP1128

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