A remote island chain in the south has been shaken by more than 900 quakes in the last two weeks, the weather agency said, with residents saying they were unable to sleep.
No major damage has been reported from the series of tremors, but the Japan Meteorological Agency held an emergency news conference after a magnitude 5.5 quake was registered around 3.30pm in the Tokara island chain, south of Kyushu.
“Seismic activity has been very active in the seas around the Tokara island chain since June 21,” Ayataka Ebita, director of the earthquake and tsunami observation division, told reporters.
“As of 4pm today, the number has exceeded 900,” he said, adding the agency could not tell when quakes would end.
Tokara village said on its website residents haven’t been able to sleep and were tired.
“It feels like it’s aways shaking,” one resident told regional broadcaster MBC. “It’s very scary to even fall asleep.”
“It’s not clear when all this will end. I should think about whether to evacuate my kids,” another resident said.
A similar period of intense seismic activity in the Tokara area was seen in September 2023, when 346 earthquakes were recorded, according to the JMA.
Seven of the 12 remote Tokara Islands are inhabited, with around 700 residents. — AFP
