Amy Bickers, Tokyo,26 Sep 2003, 11:22 UTC
EFL and Fair Use
A powerful earthquake jolted Japan’s northernmost island of Hokkaido Friday, forcing thousands to evacuate their homes. Local media reports say more than 300 people were injured. An earthquake measuring 8 on the Richter scale struck off the coast of Northeastern Japan at 4:50 a.m. local time Friday. The powerful earthquake occurred in the Pacific Ocean, about 100 kilometers off the coast of Hokkaido. It was the biggest quake recorded in the world this year and the largest to hit Japan in almost nine years. Damage was minor given the quake’s intensity, because the area affected is mostly rural. |