Japan quakes kills 21

TOKYO – At least 21 people were killed and some 940 injured in the powerful earthquakes that shook central Japan with an initial tremor measuring 6.8 on the Richter scale, police said yesterday.

Kohei Kawasaki, a police spokesman in Niigata Prefecture, where the major quake hit late Saturday, said 21 people were confirmed dead and there were no longer any missing. Kawasaki put the number of injured at 940, although national broadcaster NHK put the injury toll at 1 800.More than 240 aftershocks struck Niigata, 200 kilometres north of Tokyo, after the first quake measuring 6.8 on the Richter scale hit on Saturday, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.No injuries or damage were reported yesterday afternoon from two strong aftershocks registering 4.9 and 4.6 on the Richter scale within two hours.But the meteorological agency warned yesterday there was a 10-per cent probability of aftershocks above 6.0 on the Richter scale hitting the region within three days.Some 58,700 people were evacuated for safety around Niigata, NHK said.The Niigata quakes cut off power to as many as 284 000 households, a spokeswoman for Tohoku Electric Power Co.said, adding that 12 800 were still without electricity yesterday.The quakes, the deadliest in almost a decade, hit as Japan was still reeling from the onslaught on Wednesday of the deadliest typhoon in a quarter century, Tokage, which killed at least 79 people.- Nampa-AFPKawasaki put the number of injured at 940, although national broadcaster NHK put the injury toll at 1 800.More than 240 aftershocks struck Niigata, 200 kilometres north of Tokyo, after the first quake measuring 6.8 on the Richter scale hit on Saturday, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.No injuries or damage were reported yesterday afternoon from two strong aftershocks registering 4.9 and 4.6 on the Richter scale within two hours.But the meteorological agency warned yesterday there was a 10-per cent probability of aftershocks above 6.0 on the Richter scale hitting the region within three days.Some 58,700 people were evacuated for safety around Niigata, NHK said.The Niigata quakes cut off power to as many as 284 000 households, a spokeswoman for Tohoku Electric Power Co.said, adding that 12 800 were still without electricity yesterday.The quakes, the deadliest in almost a decade, hit as Japan was still reeling from the onslaught on Wednesday of the deadliest typhoon in a quarter century, Tokage, which killed at least 79 people.- Nampa-AFP