Oct. 7 (UPI) — A 5.9-magnitude earthquake shook Tokyo on Thursday, injuring more than 20 people.
The epicenter of the quake, which occurred at 10:41 p.m. local time, was in Chiba prefecture east of Tokyo at a depth of 50 miles.
Areas of the capital city recorded seismic intensity of 5 on a Japanese scale from 0-7, the strongest temblor to hit the region since a magnitude 9 quake hit northeast Japan in March 2011, Japan Times reported.
The earthquake disrupted traffic and stranded passengers in Tokyo and surrounding areas, where 20 commuter lines went offline. Service has since been restored.
Officials didn’t issue a tsunami warning, but warned of a 10% to 20% chance that a quake of similar intensity could occur within the week.
Among those injured was a female train passenger who fell and hit her head when the train came to a sudden stop, Kyodo News reported.
Reported damage included burst pipes, interruption in water supplies, a home on fire, a partially derailed train and a temporary blackout affecting about 250 homes in Tokyo.
A government task force was established to respond.
Officials reported no problems at nuclear facilities in the area. Airports and highways were inspected and reopened, and a fire at an oil refinery in Sodegaura was quickly extinguished.
