LOC09:37
06:37 GMT
TOKYO, June 18 (KUNA) -- A strong earthquake with a magnitude of 6.1 on the Richter scale jolted western Japan Monday, killing at least three people and injuring some 230 people, local officials said.
According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, no tsunami warning was issued for the quake, which occurred at (7:58 a.m.) local time (22:58 Sunday GMT).
The focus of the temblor was 10 km underground in the northern Osaka Prefecture (400 km west of Tokyo), the weather agency said.
As of 1:00 p.m., some 110,000 homes were without gas, the utility said.
There were no impacts on nuclear power plant in the region, according to the plant operator, in the time gas stopped running into 110,000 homes, the utility said.
Two airports in the region temporarily suspended flights, but resumed operation after confirming no abnormalities to the facilities.
Shinkansen bullet train service and local trains in the region were affected, stranding thousands of passengers.
In Tokyo, the government established an emergency response team to gather information about the quake damage.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe ordered the team to assess the damage as quickly as possible, make utmost efforts to rescue victims, and keep the public informed.
At a press conference, a weather agency official warned that quakes with a similar size could occur in areas around the epicenter in the coming week.
In January 1995, a magnitude-7.3 earthquake killed 6,433 people in the western city of Kobe.
More than 7,000 deaths could be expected in Tokyo if the city was hit by a magnitude 7.2 quake, experts have said. (end)
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