TOKYO: An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5 struck Japan’s mountainous Nagano prefecture on Saturday (April 18), according to public broadcaster NHK.
The quake hit Omachi in northern Nagano around 1.20pm (12.20pm, Malaysia time), NHK said, adding the Japan Meteorological Agency would hold a news conference in about two hours.
The earthquake registered a seismic intensity of upper-5 on Japan’s 1 to 7 scale, strong enough to make movement difficult without support.
It was not immediately clear whether there was any damage.
Earthquakes are common in Japan, one of the world’s most seismically active areas. Japan accounts for about a fifth of the world’s earthquakes of 6 magnitude or greater. - Reuters
