Japan earthquake: Magnitude 6.0 quake shakes Tokyo Olympics
A 6.0 earthquake occurred off the coast of Japan early on Wednesday morning, sending out tremors felt by those at the Tokyo Olympics.
I felt what appeared to be a mild earthquake here in Tokyo. Around 5:33 am Wednesday morning here. Rolled for a good 20 seconds. Interestingly my crew 3 floors below me felt nothing. Japanese meteorological agency reporting 6.0 magnitude.
— Lester Holt (@LesterHoltNBC) August 3, 2021
Authorities warned, however, there was no threat of a tsunami, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. The quake, which struck around 5:30am local time on Wednesday, has an epicenter about 40 kilometers (25 miles) from land, deep off the coast of Japan, according to preliminary reports.
Japan Meteorological Agency:
Magnitude 6.0 earthquake took place at 05:33aJT (4:33pET) offshore Ibaraki prefecture https://t.co/TNIbOxYPdG— Will Ripley (@willripleyCNN) August 3, 2021
The quake first occurred more than 6 miles deep in the waters near the town of Hasaki, which is about 75 miles east of Tokyo, according to the US Geological Survey.
Anecdotal reports from witnesses suggested it lasted between 20 seconds and 3 minutes, and didn’t cause any damage. Australian journalist Mark Beretta was in the middle of a live broadcast from on top of a temporary broadcast tower when the earthquake began.
“Welcome back to the Olympic city where we are currently in an earthquake, an earth tremor,” he told viewers. “The roof above us is moving and you might notice our lights and camera are moving as well.”
“That was quite an unusual moment, I have not been through an earthquake before,” he added.
Earthquake tremor here in Tokyo. Minor shaking for about three minutes #Tokyo2020
— James Toney (@jtoneysbeat) August 3, 2021
Japan, situated on top of converging tectonic plates, is no stranger to earthquakes, and some venues have specific technology to protect against. The Ariake volleyball arena has giant rubber cushions built into the facility to limit earthquake damage.
Other facilities are protected from related threat. Olympic Village has a seawall meant to stop tsunamis as tall as 6.5 feet."For organisers, infection measures are an urgent challenge," Hirotada Hirose, a Japanese specialist in disaster risk studies, told AFP. “But the risks of a major earthquake mustn’t be forgotten when you have an Olympics hosted by Japan.”
Japan's wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant is running out of room to store contaminated water. Reuters takes a tour of the site that will be less than 40 miles from some #Tokyo2020 Olympic events this year https://t.co/SOY8a1a54J pic.twitter.com/gFVtjcnicB
— Reuters (@Reuters) January 23, 2020
Japan is situated within the “Ring of Fire,” an arc of intense seismic activity and active volcanoes that circles Southeast Asia.
In 2011, an earthquake triggered a tsunami that killed 18,500 people and caused the Fukushima nuclear disaster.
Read More
Olympics skateboarding schedule: When will Sky Brown perform?
Tokyo Olympics LIVE: GB cycling after Puerto Rico win hurdles gold
Laurel Hubbard: New Zealand transgender weightlifter in profile