TOKYO — A strong earthquake shook a wide area of Japan’s northernmost main island of Hokkaido on Thursday evening, but there were no immediate reports of serious damage or injuries. The quake hit the southwestern part of Hokkaido at a depth of about 30 kilometers (19 miles) and measured magnitude 5.8, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. The same area was hit by a magnitude 6.7 earthquake in September which triggered dozens of landslides and left more than 40 people dead. It is common for airports and railways to stop operations until runways and tracks can be checked. On March 11, 2011, a magnitude 9.0 offshore quake hit the northeast coast, causing a tsunami that took more than 18,000 lives and triggered a nuclear disaster at the Fukushima power plant.

Source: Washington Post February 21, 2019 13:01 UTC