TOKYO, May 5. /TASS/. The magnitude 6.5 earthquake that hit Japan’s Ishikawa Prefecture on Friday did not cause any incidents at the country’s nuclear power plants, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told reporters.
"We have received reports that no emergencies were recorded," he pointed out at an emergency press conference.
Matsuno added that Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida had ordered the relevant ministries and government agencies to take all necessary steps to protect civilians from the aftermath of the disaster.
According to the latest data, the quake killed one person in the city of Suzu in the Ishikawa Prefecture. At least two more people in the prefecture were hospitalized after losing consciousness. At least two homes collapsed and several people remain under the rubble. First responders and rescue teams are working at the scene.
The earthquake occurred in the central part of Japan’s main island of Honshu on the coast of the Sea of Japan. The meteorological bureau initially reported that the quake’s magnitude stood at 6.3, but later Japanese seismologists upgraded its magnitude to 6.5. The epicenter was located on the Noto Peninsula in the Ishikawa Prefecture at a depth of about 12 kilometers. A crisis management center has been established under Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s office to gather and analyze information on the earthquake’s aftereffects. A similar center has been set up at the country's main police office.