An earthquake with a magnitude of 5.0 struck the Noto region of Ishikawa Prefecture in central Japan on June 20, a day after an even stronger temblor hit that left at least six people injured.

The aftershock came as authorities and residents in the region facing the Sea of Japan were scrambling to assess damage from the magnitude-5.4 quake on June 19.

The first quake, at 3:08 p.m., registered lower 6 on the Japanese seismic scale of 7 and was followed by a big aftershock at 10:31 a.m. on June 20 that measured upper 5 in the city of Suzu, which is part of Ishikawa Prefecture.

Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) officials put the epicenter of the aftershock at a depth of 14 kilometers.

The jolt was felt across a wide area, including Noto town, Nanao and Wajima cities in the prefecture, as well as in Niigata and Toyama prefectures.

As of 6 a.m. on June 20, prefectural authorities said six people in Suzu and Noto, including a child under the age of 10, sustained injuries from the June 19 quake. Five had minor injuries but one person suffered a wrist fracture.

ASSESSING DAMAGE 

Authorities said cracks were found in the walls of a facility at Noto Satoyama Airport in Wajima, adding that windowpanes shattered at Ishikawa Prefectural Iida High School in Suzu, forcing classes to be canceled until the safety of the campus facility is confirmed. They also said cracks emerged in outer walls of the building.

Satoshi Sasatani, the school principal, was in his office when the aftershock hit.

The shaking was so strong, he grabbed part of a sofa for support. Seconds later, an earthquake warning sounded on the smartphones of teachers in the office.

“We need to confirm the safety of (the students) again,” Sasatani gasped after the shaking stopped.

At Kasugajinja shrine in Suzu, a stone-built torii gate and 14 stone lanterns were found to have toppled over in the June 19 quake.

Mizuho Katsurahara, who is 17 and the daughter of the shrine’s chief priest, described the aftershock as like “a loud bang.”

“I was relieved it didn’t go on like the one yesterday,” she added.

The damaged torii gate cannot be repaired in time for a summer festival the shrine will hold in July for the first time in three years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I feel really torn,” the chief priest, Hidefumi Katsurahara, 54, said in shock.

‘SO FRIGHTENING’

For 74-year-old Suzu resident Michiko Muramoto, the June 19 quake was “the most frightening thing ever.”

Her family runs a liquor store in the city.

She said that around two dozen bottles of wine, sake and whiskey were smashed when they fell from shelves to the floor during the quake.

But Masafumi Muramoto, 84, said, “We were prepared, thinking we may have another quake.”

And his hunch proved right.

He was having a late breakfast when he felt swaying from side to side on the morning of July 20.

“I just pray there will be no more quakes,” he said.

Ishikawa Governor Hiroshi Hase wasted no time organizing a meeting at the prefectural government’s headquarters on June 20 to handle matters stemming from the two quakes.

Hase cautioned that aftershocks were likely to continue for about a week and urged residents to take steps to stay safe. He also called on them to remain alert to prevent further damage.

JMA official Noriko Kamaya told an emergency news conference held on the afternoon of June 20 that the focus of the morning quake was about 5 km east of the focus of the one the day before.

EARTHQUAKE SWARM

She said it was clear evidence of continuing seismic activity in the region.

The Noto Peninsula has been hit by numerous temblors since late 2020.

The agency said it had recorded more than 160 earthquakes with an intensity of 1 or higher during the period from late 2020 to June 20 this year.

According to the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan, ground uplifts have been observed in Suzu at the tip of the peninsula since around the same time.

One this past May raised the ground by as much as 4 centimeters in some areas.

The cause of the ground uplifts remains unknown and Kamaya urged residents to be prepared for more to come.

Shortly after the news conference, at around 2:50 p.m., another quake with a preliminary magnitude of 4.2 hit the Noto region.