Japan Earthquake 2014: Magnitude 6.8 Quake Trembles Japan’s Mountainous Area

By Staff Reporter | Nov 22, 2014 06:22 PM EST

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Japan Earthquake 2014 - On Saturday night, a strong magnitude 6.8 earthquake trembled Japan's mountainous area. According to an official, the earthquake injured several people after their houses collapsed in a village west of Nagano.

According to local media reports, the Japan earthquake 2014 has temporarily trapped 21 people when their houses was destroyed. ABC News AU reported that Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said the quake struck just after 10 p.m. (local time). Its epicenter has a depth of 10 kilometers in the north of Nagano Region northwest of Tokyo.

There are no tsunami warning issued after the earthquake, as said by the JMA. The Japan earthquake 2014 was felt in the capital Tokyo, which is 180 kilometers away. CNN reported that while JMA said it was a 6.8 magnitude earthquake, the US Geological Survey (USGS) said it was magnitude 6.2.

According to the Japanese authorities, a strong earthquake late Saturday hit central Japan's mountainous area that hosted the Winter Olympics in 1998. USA Today reported at least 10 homes were knocked down in a ski resort and more than 20 people were injured.

Officials at a local hospital in Omachi City said around 15 people were being treated for injuries, three of the victims were seriously injured.

"We are trying to assess the situation as quickly as possible, and we'll do our utmost for the rescue of the injured people," Japan's top government spokesperson, Yoshihide Suga stated.

During the earthquake, Nagano area disaster management official Shigeharu Fujimura said that one of the hardest-struck areas appeared to be Hakuba, a ski town west of Nagano that hosted events in the 1998 Olympic Games.

"We are afraid there could be some areas that may have been isolated, so we need to conduct a thorough assessment of damage after sunrise," Fujimura said.

As reported by the local news media, the Japan earthquake 2014 triggered several landslides in the area. No electric facilities, including nuclear power plants, were damaged. JMA said the main quake was followed by 21 aftershocks with one recorded at magnitude 4.1.

JMA cautioned residents of further aftershocks and urged them to watch out for possible landslides. A Japanese media reported that a landslide blocked a road after the strong Japan earthquake 2014. Fox News also reported Shinkansen bullet train service in the area was temporarily suspended.

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