Earthquakes in Japan and in the Andaman trigger tsunami warnings later recalled
Tokyo (AsiaNews / Agencies) - Japan and the Andaman Islands off India were hit this morning by two separate, but almost contemporary earthquakes, which triggered tsunami alarms, later cancelled for India, Myanmar, Indonesia, Thailand, and Bangladesh . The shocks left one person dead and eighty injured, three in a series condition.
The first earthquake hit the Andaman islands, which are still recovering from the 2004 tsunami. The seismographs registered a magnitude of 7.6 on the Richter scale. Just 12 minutes later, at 5.07 am local time, a shock of magnitude 6.6 struck central Japan.
The earthquake was also felt in Tokyo. Although the epicentre was located 170 kilometers southeast of the capital, in the Pacific Ocean, several buildings were rocked. For safety reasons, the authorities closed a highway in Makinohara, that showed some cracks, and partially closed the Hamaoka Nuclear Power Station. In the city of Shizuoa, the earth trembled for more than a minute. Images of the quake were broadcast by Japanese stations. The wounded were registered in Japan, as well as the one death, when a woman was hit by falling objects during the quake.
Also in Japan, the national meteorological agency reported that the sea level dropped by about 60 centimetres in the port of Yaizu, indicating a possible tsunami, but it quickly stabilised. The tsunami warning was also recalled in Andaman Islands. The epicentre of this earthquake was located 263 kilometres north of the capital, Port Blair.
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07/10/2009
