Japan Quake Kills at Least 6 and Injures Hundreds (Mw 6.8)

[Ediacara]

Source: New York Times

By NORIMITSU ONISHI
Published: July 16, 2007

TOKYO, July 16 — A powerful earthquake shook Japan’s northwestern coast this morning, killing six people and injuring more than 700, flattening hundreds of buildings and sparking a fire at a nuclear power plant.

The 6.8-magnitude earthquake was centered off the cost of Niigata, a prefecture that was hit by a devastating earthquake in 2004. Skyscrapers in Tokyo, about 130 miles southeast of Niigata, swayed for almost a minute from the tremor.

The earthquake, which occurred at 10:13 a.m. on what was a national holiday here, caused minor tsunamis and buckled roads and bridges. It toppled one local train and shut down service on the bullet train for several hours, as well as interrupted the supply of power and water to tens of thousands of homes.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/16/world/asia/16cnd-japa...

---

The USGS says that it was a M_w 6.7:

http://earthquakes.usgs.gov/eqcenter/recenteqsww/Quakes...

At least two aftershocks, M_w 5.8 and 4.7, have occurred.

[dae]

1. dupe. You make it easy DinoBoy.: )

Can post here: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.ph...