At 11:14 p.m. on the night of April 17, an earthquake measuring 6.4 on the Richter scale struck near the Shikoku region of Japan, and the seismic intensity in nearby Ehime and Kochi prefectures reached "6 weak".
According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, the epicenter was located along the coast of the Bungo Strait at a depth of about 50 kilometers, and the earthquake did not cause a tsunami.
The magnitude 6.4 earthquake occurred in Japan, although it is not very large, but it is not small, and the earthquake has a very wide area.
In addition to Ehime and Aichi prefectures, parts of Oita Prefecture had a seismic intensity of "5 weak", and many areas such as Tokushima Prefecture, Hyogo Prefecture, Kyoto Prefecture, Nara Prefecture, Wakayama Prefecture, and Osaka Prefecture had a seismic intensity of 1-3 respectively.
According to the latest report from Japan's NHK this afternoon, the earthquake has injured nine people, with landslides in parts of Kochi and Ehime prefectures and roads blocked by rockfalls.
Water pipes in areas near the epicenter also ruptured, and some buildings were damaged to varying degrees due to the earthquake.
Since the epicenter of the earthquake was located in an area that could cause a huge Nankai Trench earthquake in the future, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) held an emergency press conference shortly after the earthquake.
According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, an earthquake of the same magnitude could occur at any time in the future, and people in the vicinity are urged to be vigilant at all times.
In addition, it is uncertain that the occurrence of this earthquake will lead to a major earthquake in the South China Sea Trench in the future.
According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, so far this year, there have been 10 earthquakes in Japan with a seismic intensity of "5 or higher".
The seismic intensity of "strong 5" means that people are normally unable to walk, which can easily lead to the collapse of walls, furniture will also fall, etc., and above "strong 5" is even more dangerous.
On January 1 of this year, an earthquake measuring 7.6 on the Richter scale struck the Noto area of Ishikawa Prefecture, with a maximum seismic intensity of 7 observed.
So what do Japanese experts think about this earthquake?
Koharu Yamaoka, a professor of seismology at Nagoya University, said, "From the depth of the epicenter, the earthquake appears to have occurred inside the plate in the Philippine Sea. As an earthquake in this area, this magnitude is quite large, and although the impact on the South China Sea Trench cannot be completely ruled out, it should be an earthquake that you don't need to worry too much about. ”
Professor Takuya Nishimura of the Institute for Disaster Prevention at Kyoto University said, "The area was hit by a 6.7 magnitude earthquake in 2001, and we need to be well prepared for the next week. ”