TOKYO: A magnitude 6.1 earthquake shook Osaka, Japan’s second-biggest metropolis, early on Monday, killing four people, halting factory lines in an industrial area and bursting water mains, government and company officials said.
Residents in western Japan were cleaning up debris Monday evening after a powerful earthquake hit the area around Osaka, the country’s second-largest city, killing four people and injuring hundreds while knocking over walls and setting off fires.
The quake also grounded flights in and out of Osaka and paralyzed traffic and commuter trains most of the day.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said authorities were assessing damage and their top priority was the safety of residents.
Japan’s Disaster Management Minister Hachiro Okonogi said people were buried under the rubble of a collapsed building in Osaka while local rescue officials tried to rapidly locate them.
Japanese Self-Defence Force (SDF) fighter jets and helicopters were deployed to the area to investigate the scene, government officials said.
Honda Motor Co. and Mitsubishi Motors said they were resuming operations after suspensions and safety checks.
Dozens of domestic flights in and out of Osaka were grounded, while train and subway service in the Osaka area, including bullet trains, was suspended to check for damage. Passengers exited trains on the tracks between stations.
Defence troops joined rescue and relief operations in parts of Osaka, along with special vehicles to deliver clean drinking water.
The epicenter of Monday’s earthquake was just north of Osaka city at a depth of 13 km (8 miles), said the Japan Meteorological Agency. The agency originally put the magnitude at 5.9 but later raised it to 6.1.
