TOKYO, Oct 8 (NNN-NHK) – A powerful earthquake that struck the Tokyo area last night, left 32 people injured and continued to disrupt train services this morning, affecting around 368,000 passengers in total.
According to East Japan Railway Co. (JR East), the strongest earthquake for the Japanese capital in a decade, caused services on the Shinkansen bullet train and 16 local train lines, cancelled or delayed from late last night to about 3:00 p.m. local time today, resulting in many late-night train passengers stranded and a commuter disruption this morning.
After a train derailed in Tokyo’s Adachi Ward, one of the areas hit hardest by the temblor, the operation of the Nippori Toneri Liner, a driverless guideway transit system in Tokyo, might be suspended for several days, according to its operator.
The Japan Transport Safety Board has sent officials to investigate the derailment.
According to a tally, by the Fire and Disaster Management Agency, two in Saitama Prefecture and one in Chiba Prefecture sustained severe injuries among the 32 injured people.
The earthquake that struck the capital region at 10:41 p.m. local time last night reached upper 5 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale of 7, in parts of Tokyo and Saitama Prefecture.
The last time that people in central Tokyo faced such an intense shake was the massive quake of Mar 11, 2011, which devastated northeastern Japan and triggered a tsunami and nuclear disaster.
Around 250 houses in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward briefly experienced power outages due to the earthquake, and water stoppages and leaks were reported in central Tokyo.
The earthquake also caused 28 cases of people being trapped in elevators in Tokyo and three neighbouring prefectures, but all cases have been cleared according to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism.– NNN-NHK
