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Natural disasters

Japanese earthquake causes heavy destruction, leaves at least 3 dead, 200 injured

The country’s weather watching agency at first declared a tsunami alert only to call it off later

© Masterpress/Getty Images

TOKYO, April 14. /TASS/. Thursday’s magnitude 6.4 earthquake that hit Japan’s southwestern island Kyushu Island reportedly caused heavy damage, the Cabinet of Ministers’ Chief Secretary Yoshihide Suga told an urgent news conference.

A crisis management center has been created under the office of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. On instructions from the head of the Cabinet it is gathering all information and making decisions on urgent measures.

According to the NHK television news channel several people found themselves under the ruins of their homes, hit by earth tremors, in the village of Mashiki.

According to the reports, at least three persons were killed and more than 200 others were injured.

The center of the earthquake that hit Kumamoto Prefecture, Kyushu Island on Thursday was identified at a depth of 10 kilometers. The country’s weather watching agency at first declared a tsunami alert only to call it off later. Thirty minutes after that several magnitude 5.0-5.7 aftershocks in Kyushu Island followed.

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Earthquake hits southern Japan, tsunami warning issued

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Japan Natural disasters

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