Engish History

The quake, which measured a preliminary magnitude of 7.0, brought railways across most of the region to a halt, crippled essential utilities and disrupted telephone services. In the city of Fukuoka, Mitsue Itoyama, 75, who was trapped by a collapsing wall later died in a hospital. Two other women, aged 56 and 83, were unconscious and in critical condition. More than 400 people received treatment at hospitals in Fukuoka Prefecture alone, including at least 15 with fractures and other serious injuries. Some 780 people took refuge at facilities in Fukuoka city. Ten people were reported hurt in Saga Prefecture. Some people were struck by toppling cabinets or items falling off shelves.

In Okawa, Fukuoka Prefecture, a 56-year-old man suffered broken bones after trying to jump to safety from the second floor of his home. Of the 750 residents of tiny Genkai Island in Fukuoka Prefecture, 450 evacuated collapsed homes and other damaged buildings, and some people were airlifted to hospitals in Kyushu. Sixteen houses there collapsed completely and 157 houses suffered serious damage, officials said. The Ground Self-Defense Force dispatched 160 personnel to Genkai Island at the request of the prefecture to help evacuate the residents and bring in emergency supplies. Gas leaks, burst water pipes, power blackouts, landslides and collapsed houses were reported in the affected areas, according to local authorities.

The quake was tough on travelers in Fukuoka a major city for business and tourism as many restaurants closed for the day and food was in short supply in shops. The earthquake, which hit at around 10:53 a.m., registered a maximum intensity of lower 6 on the Japanese seismic scale of 7 in the city of Fukuoka and southern Saga Prefecture. The temblor was felt as far away as Kyoto and Gifu prefectures. It was the strongest quake to hit Kyushu since May 1997.

The Meteorological Agency warned against aftershocks of up to magnitude 6. The focus of the quake was about 9 km below the seabed in the Sea of Japan about 70 km off Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture. A tsunami warning issued by the Meteorological Agency immediately after the quake was lifted at noon. The initial shaking, which lasted as long as 30 seconds, toppled desks and knocked books off shelves and made it difficult to stand, a Fukuoka Prefecture Police spokesman said. In residential areas, pavement was lined with cracks and parts of retainer walls broke off.

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