A strong earthquake shook Osaka, killing at least four people and injuring 300, according to the Japanese government.
The 5.3-magnitude quake hit the city at around 8 a.m. on Monday, the U.S. Geological Survey said. The Japan Meteorology Agency said the quake registered as a 6.1 on its scale.
A 9-year-old girl, identified as Rina Miyake, was killed after a damaged wall around a swimming pool facility fell on her in Takatsuki, Osaka Prefecture, according to local reports. An 85-year-old man and an 80-year-old man also died in the quake.
The Japan Times reported that at least four died in the tremor.
Local officials reported dozens of fires in Osaka, Hyogo, Kyoto, and Mie prefectures.
Japanese broadcaster NHK reported that 1,300 people were sent to evacuation centers. “Pipes have cracked underneath some roads and ceiling tiles fell in city halls in Osaka, Hyogo, and Nara Prefectures,” the news outlet reported.
The quake left more than 100,000 homes without gas and water in the northern half of Osaka.
“It was a strong quake and reminded me of the 1995 earthquake. It was quite a surprise,” said local Yoko Inoue, 38, according to the Japan Times. “We’ve done a brisk business these past few hours, especially in bottled water,” said Tetsunari Nigawa, a convenience store worker.
Japanese World Cup team sent their condolences to people affected by the quake.
“I would like to extend heartfelt condolences to the people who have been affected and hope that the damage will be limited and the recovery is as quick as possible,” Japan captain Makoto Hasebe told a news conference, Reuters reported. “There are players whose families live around the affected area so they are worried. Emotionally, they may have been negatively impacted, but as a team we extend our support, and anything I can do as captain.”
“We were sleeping and it woke us up abruptly,” said hotel guest Kate Kilpatrick, 19, according to Reuters. “It was so terrifying because this is my first earthquake. I thought it was a nightmare because I was so confused,” she said. “The whole world was aggressively shaking.”
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said that officials are assessing damage, and the top priority is the country’s residents’ safety.
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