Magnitude 5.7 Earthquake Strikes Central Japan, Injuring More Than 20

A magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck western Shizuoka Prefecture in central Japan early on Sunday, November 8, and more than 20 people were injured in Aichi and Shizuoka prefectures, according to Al Jazeera. The quake hit at 1:04 a.m. local time, which was 16:00 GMT on Saturday, November 7.

The earthquake occurred at a depth of about 40 kilometres (25 miles). The Japan Meteorological Agency, the national weather agency that also tracks earthquakes, catalogued it under event ID 20261108011257.

At least 22 people were hurt, according to the Times of Israel. Store windows were shattered, and people fled buildings during the shaking.

Transport was disrupted. Trains on the Tokaido Shinkansen, the high-speed line linking Tokyo and Osaka, were delayed between Shizuoka and Gifu-Hashima stations after safety checks. Some local train services were suspended, and bullet trains ran at slower speeds in affected areas as a precaution.

No tsunami warning was issued. Al Jazeera reported that the agency warned of possible strong quakes in the coming week, especially in the two to three days after the earthquake. Ayataka Ebita, an agency official, urged vigilance against mudslides, falling rocks and possible effects of rainfall.

The agency also reported no apparent change in the Nankai Trough, a major undersea fault zone off Japan's Pacific coast, following the quake.