By YUSUKE OGAWA/ Staff Writer
April 12, 2021 at 17:23 JST
Akusekijima island in Toshima village in Kagoshima Prefecture in November 2019 (Asahi Shimbun file photo)
TOSHIMA, Kagoshima Prefecture--Hundreds of earthquakes occurred centered in waters near Kagoshima Prefecture's Tokara island chain from April 9 to 12, prompting the local meteorological observatory to issue an alert calling for residents to be vigilant.
"It is necessary that people exercise caution for a while," the observatory said.
As of 7 a.m. on April 12, at least 208 quakes registering 1 or higher on the Japanese seismic intensity scale of 7 have hit the area since the night of April 9.
Fifteen quakes registered an intensity of 3 among them.
Four quakes registering an intensity of 4 struck in succession from the morning of April 10 to the night of April 11, according to the Kagoshima local meteorological observatory, all jolting Akusekijima island here.
All of their focuses were at a depth of about 20 kilometers, with preliminary estimated magnitudes of 5.2, 5.0, 4.5 and 4.4.
A 5.9-magnitude quake occurred near the area on Oct. 2, 2000, registering an upper 5 on the Japanese scale at Akusekijima island, with seismic activity continuing for several days.
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