Quake Rocks Tokyo, Nearby Areas; 37 Injured

Tokyo, Aug. 23 (Jiji Press)--A major earthquake occurred in Ibaraki Prefecture early Sunday morning, rocking eastern Japan areas including Tokyo and leaving at least 37 injured.

The quake with an estimated magnitude of 5.9 occurred in southern Ibaraki at a depth of 68 kilometers around 2 a.m., the Japan Meteorological Agency said.

The maximum seismic intensity reached lower 5, the fifth-highest level on the Japanese scale, in some areas including Ibaraki's Omitama, Kawaguchi in Saitama Prefecture, Urayasu in Chiba Prefecture and Tokyo's Adachi Ward.

The agency warned that in areas where ground shaking was strong, attention should be paid to potential aftershocks with a seismic intensity of up to lower 5 for about a week.

According to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency, a total of 37 people were injured in Tokyo and the surrounding prefectures of Ibaraki, Saitama, Chiba and Kanagawa.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]