A magnitude 5.8 earthquake rocked central Japan late Friday near Mount Fuji, shaking a broad area of the country, briefly halting bullet train service and adding to a week of increased seismic activity across Japan, other parts of the Pacific Ring of Fire, and in other parts of the world.
The quake struck at 10:29 p.m. local time at a depth of about 20 kilometers (12 miles), according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. The strongest shaking reached level 6 on Japan’s seven-level seismic intensity scale in Fujikawaguchiko, Yamanashi Prefecture, where residents reported intense vertical movement and objects falling from shelves.
Earlier Friday, a separate magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck Chiba Prefecture east of Tokyo, making the Mount Fuji-area quake the second significant tremor in the metropolitan region within hours. The series of quakes contributed to a day of heightened seismic activity across the country.
“It was like an upward-thrusting earthquake,” an official with the town office in Fujikawaguchiko said, referring to the magnitude 5.6 quake that struck central Japan.
A 64-year-old convenience store worker said she evacuated the building after the shaking began, noting similarities to the 2011 earthquake that devastated northeastern Japan. She said goods fell from store shelves during the tremor.
“Vertical shaking lasted for more than 10 seconds,” she said, adding that snacks fell from the shelves in the store
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi instructed officials to gather and quickly disseminate information to the public following the quake, according to Kyodo News in Japan.
The earthquake came as the region was preparing for the upcoming climbing season on Mount Fuji, which stands 3,776 meters (12,388 feet) tall.
A magnitude 5.2 earthquake struck near Villa El Carmen, Nicaragua, early Friday, the U.S. Geological Survey said. The quake, which occurred about 70 miles (112 kilometers) below the surface, was widely felt around the capital, Managua. There were no immediate reports of significant damage or injuries.
In Venezuela, back-to-back magnitude 7.0-plus earthquakes devastated the country this week, killing hundreds and injuring thousands.