Residents on the island of Hokkaido, 70 miles south of Sapporo, were woken up at around 2 p.m. Wednesday (3 a.m. Thursday local time), to strong shaking. Another magnitude 5.3 quake followed less than 20 minutes later, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS).
— Steve Lookner (@lookner) September 5, 2018
Social media users and local news stations shared photos and videos on Twitter Wednesday of damaged buildings and power outages on the island.
— Liz V (@ShoreEJV) September 5, 2018
The quake occurred at a depth of 39 kilometers. No one was initially reported killed or injured, Sputnik reported earlier Wednesday. However, according to local police, some victims may be buried under collapsed buildings.
— NHK WORLD News (@NHKWORLD_News) September 5, 2018
The quake comes a day after Typhoon Jebi, the strongest typhoon to hit Japan in at least 25 years, swept across the country's main island, damaging infrastructure and causing at least 11 deaths, Sputnik reported earlier Wednesday.
— Denis Quinn (@deniswquinn) September 5, 2018
Japan is a seismically active region. In March 2011, a 9.0-magnitude offshore earthquake triggered a 46-foot tsunami that hit Japan's Fukushima nuclear power plant, leading to the leakage of radioactive materials and the shutdown of the plant. The accident is considered to be the world's worst nuclear disaster since the Chernobyl accident, which occured in the now-abandoned town of Pripyat, in northern Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1986. The accident, which was caused by a flawed reactor design and an inadequate response by plant operators, resulted in uncontrolled reaction conditions, steam explosions and fires.
— 🌐 (@GE0_data) September 5, 2018
— 24時間テレビありがとう💜じゃにあかはいぱー (@Jnysacfm) September 5, 2018
