TOKYO (AP) — Authorities in western Japan say the number of people treated for injuries suffered in a strong earthquake Monday morning now exceeds 300.…
TOKYO (AP) — Authorities in western Japan say the number of people treated for injuries suffered in a strong earthquake Monday morning now exceeds 300.
The magnitude 6.1 earthquake near the major city of Osaka killed three people, toppled concrete walls and store shelves and temporarily knocked out some power and water supplies.
The Fire and Disaster Management Agency said 307 people have been treated at hospitals in five prefectures. Most of the injured were in Osaka, which did not give details, but the injuries reported in Kyoto and three other neighboring prefectures were all minor.
The earthquake damaged buildings and left many homes without water or gas. The quake also grounded flights in and out of Osaka, and paralyzed traffic and commuter trains most of the day.
By the evening, bullet trains and some local trains had resumed operation, with stations swollen with commuters trying to get home, many of them waiting in long lines. An exodus of commuters who chose to walk home filled sidewalks and bridges.
Some commuters took refuge at nearby shelters instead of going home. Video on Japan’s NHK public television showed dozens of men wearing ties and carrying briefcases sitting on gym mats at a junior high school gymnasium in Ibaraki city, where some families also gathered.
A 9-year-old girl was killed by a falling concrete wall at her school, and the two other fatalities were men in their 80s.
The Fire and Disaster Management Agency said 307 people were treated for injuries at hospitals. Most of the injured were in Osaka. Osaka officials did not give details, but the injuries reported in Kyoto and three other neighboring prefectures were all minor.
The quake struck shortly after 8 a.m. north of Osaka at a depth of about 13 kilometers (8 miles), the Japan Meteorological Agency said. The strongest shaking was north of Osaka, but the quake rattled large parts of western Japan, including Kyoto, the agency said.
Dozens of domestic flights in and out of Osaka were grounded, while train and subway service in the Osaka area, including bullet trains, were suspended to check for damage.
