Fourteen injuries were reported Friday following an earthquake that struck the south coast of Japan.
The quake occurred a little after 2 a.m. in the Iyonada inland sea that separates the country’s main islands, including Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu.
It was reportedly at a depth of 80 kilometers, but experts say that the earthquake could have reached 700 kilometers.
The U.S. Geological Survey explained on their site what possibly caused the quake:
Subduction zones at the Japanese island arcs are geologically complex and produce numerous earthquakes from multiple sources. Deformation of the overriding plates generates shallow crustal earthquakes, whereas slip at the interface of the plates generates interplate earthquakes that extend from near the base of the trench to depths of 40 to 60 km.
The injuries that people incurred from the natural disaster were reportedly minor.
According to the Japan Daily Press:
Firefighters in Okayama City said that a 70-year-old woman and two other residents sustained minor injuries while in Tamano, still in Okayama Prefecture, a 1-month-old infant was injured when his mother accidentally dropped him while trying to seek refuge. Hiroshima Prefecture also reported six minor injuries, and several more injuries were sustained by people in Hofu and Shimanto.
There were also no signs of tsunami threats, major damages, or reported casualties.
The news company also said, “an Upper-5 intensity was registered in Seiyo, Ehime Prefecture while lower-5 was detected in Kure, Hiroshima Prefecture, Sukumo, Kochi Prefecture, and Usuki, Oita Prefecture.”
Additionally, the agency says that they expect four aftershocks to take place within the next few weeks.
Japan has experienced three major earthquakes since 1933. One of those includes the 2011 9.0-magnitude earthquake in Tohoku, better known as 3/11.
Coincidently, Japan just commemorated the three-year anniversary of the tragic event on Tuesday, which caused a 30-foot tsunami and a nuclear radiation safety issue.
The nuclear disaster killed 15,884 people and 2,636 victims were never found following the disaster.
Tohoku officials have said that they are still gradually rebuilding the area since then.
Here is a report by the Associated Press about 3/11:
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