The Tochigi Prefecture in Japan has been hit by an earthquake of 5.7 magnitude on February 25, 2013. Seismologists said that the quake had swayed the buildings of Tokyo, but has not caused any risk of a tsunami.
According to the national broadcaster NHK, no abnormalities have been detected at nuclear power plants near the epicentre. The centre of the quake was triggered in the north of Tokyo, where buildings were rocked for more than half a minute.
The Geological Survey of USA said that the quake hit at 4:23 pm and that the epicenter was 57 kilometers north-northeast of Maebashi, which is around 143 kilometers north-northwest of Tokyo. The agency also said that it struck at a depth of nine kilometers.
Earlier, the Japanese Meteorological Agency had put the magnitude of the earthquake as 6.2. An official at Tochigi Prefecture’s Fire Department in Nikko City, said that the quake had rocked the city’s popular spot on the tourist rail. Takayuki Fukuda added, “It shook vertically for about 10 seconds. Nothing fell from shelves and window glass was not shattered. There was no report of fire and we are preparing to patrol the city”. The official added that there have been preliminary reports that a wall in the city had tumbled and injured some people.
