Strong earthquake jolts eastern Japan; 3 injured

Astrong earthquake registering a preliminary magnitude of 5.6 shook eastern Japan early on Friday injuring three people, but there was no danger of tsunami, the Meteorological Agency and police said.

The 02.50 am quake occurred 10 kilometres (6 miles) below the ocean floor just off the east coast of Izu Peninsula, about 90 kilometres (56 miles) southeast of Tokyo, the agency said.

In Ito City in Shizuoka prefecture (state), one of the most strongly shaken cities, a 64-year-old woman suffered minor bruises on her head when a wardrobe fell onto her, local police spokesman Mitsuo Sugibayashi said.

In nearby Kanagawa prefecture, two women aged 67 and 52 also suffered minor injuries, police said, providing no other details. The agency said there was no threat of a tsunami -- potentially dangerous waves triggered by seismic activity.

The temblor, felt most strongly in the town of Izu Oshima, moderately shook buildings in the Tokyo region, but didn't cause any damage.

Japan, which rests atop several tectonic plates, is among the world's most earthquake-prone countries.

A magnitude 5 quake can damage houses and buildings in densely populated areas.

First Published: Apr 21, 2006 08:30 IST