Society

Magnitude 4.8 earthquake strikes near Iwaki, Fukushima

Jan 24 (JS Media) - An earthquake of magnitude 4.8 occurred late at night on Saturday 23 January 2021 at 10:12 pm local time near Iwaki, Iwaki-shi, Fukushima, Japan, as reported by NIED.

According to preliminary data, the quake was located at a moderately shallow depth of 44.7 km. The exact magnitude, epicenter, and depth of the quake might be revised within the next few hours or minutes as seismologists review data and refine their calculations, or as other agencies issue their report.

A second report was later issued by the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC), which listed it as a magnitude 4.5 earthquake.

Based on the preliminary seismic data, the quake should not have caused any significant damage, but was probably felt by many people as light vibration in the area of the epicenter.

Weak shaking might have been felt in Iwaki, located 54 km from the epicenter, Namie, 60 km away, Kitaibaraki, 74 km away, and Takahagi, 81 km away.

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