At least nine people were killed and nearly 1000 injured after a strong earthquake hit southwestern Japan. The earthquake magnitude-6.2 struck in city of Kumamoto knocked down houses and blocked roads in Kyushu on Friday. Today morning at around 5 am, 44,000 people were evacuated from their homes and staying at 500 shelters in the prefecture.
The quake struck at 9:26 p.m. at a depth of 11 km (7 miles) near the city of Kumamoto, the Meteorological Agency said. There was no tsunami risk.
By 7am, power was cut at 14,500 households in the prefecture, according to Kyushu Electric Power Co. Saibu Gas Co. Said it received 54 reporters of gas leaks by 6 am Friday and stopped supplying gas to some 1,100 households in the city of Kumamoto to prevent a secondary disaster.
More than 3,000 troops, police and firemen were dispatched to the area from around Japan, and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said more would be sent if needed. “We will do everything in our power to ensure the safety of local residents,” Abe told a parliamentary committee.
