Powerful earthquake rocks southern Japan, tsunami warnings issued
{{byline|date=March 20, 2005|location= KYUSHU, Japan}}[[Image:Japan kyushu map small.png|thumb|right|180px|Kyushu region]]A powerful magnitude 7 [[w:earthquake|earthquake]] rocked [[w:Japan|Japan's]] southwestern island of [[w:Kyushu|Kyushu]] at 10:53 am local time today (0153 UTC), prompting the [[w:JMA|Japanese Meteorological Agency]] to issue [[w:tsunami|tsunami]] warnings for the area. The tsunami warnings were canceled later in the day.

A 75-year-old woman was killed in [[w:Fukuoka, Fukuoka|Fukuoka city]] by a falling wall. At least 400 people were injured by the quake. Local [[w:Fukuoka Airport|Fukuoka Airport]] and high speed bullet trains in the area temporarily suspended operations to look for damage.

According to the agency, the [[w:epicenter|epicenter]] of the earthquake was in shallow water in the [[w:Sea of Japan|Sea of Japan]], off the north coast of [[w:Fukuoka Prefecture|Fukuoka Prefecture]].

Small aftershocks continued throughout the day, with authorities advising that residents should be prepared for aftershocks of up to magnitude 6.

In the aftermath of the quake, people were quickly alerted to the state of the situation by television reports, telephone, and text-messaging systems.

[[Image:Fukuoka Earthquake 20050320 Maruzen.jpg|thumb|left|180px|Fukuoka Building, located in Tenjin, downtown Fukuoka City following the quake.  Many stores remained closed.]]
Interviewed by telephone in [[w:Hitoyoshi|Hitoyoshi]], well inland from the epicenter of the quake, a local resident noted the severity of the quake was frightening, and left the elderly woman unable to remain seated on a chair. Shutting off gas was the first priority, with the local television coverage providing a quick status update for the situation, followed by an interruption by national emergency network coverage.

A foreign resident of [[w:Fukuoka City|Fukuoka city]] reported taking refuge under his desk for several minutes as books and ornaments fell from shelves. He prepared to evacuate to high ground in case of a tsunami, but news reports indicated little danger from a tsunami. He also reported that Japanese residents appeared unconcerned by the quake, with many strolling near Momochi beach shortly after the quake, showing little apparent concern.

[[Image:Fukuoka Earthquake 20050320 Wall1.jpg|thumb|right|180px|An old wall surrounding a traditional house in Chuo-ku, Fukuoka crumbled during the earthquake.]]
In Tenjin, downtown Fukuoka, Fukuoka Building's windows shattered, and the block was quickly cordoned off.  In addition to Fukuoka Building, many other buildings and businesses remained closed to shoppers.

Wikinews contributor Oarih reports that a festive atmosphere pervaded the streets, however, as employees from Nishinihon Shimbun (a major Japanese newspaper) passed out one-page articles on the earthquake and curious onlookers investigated the damaged buildings and sidewalks.  Many residents, relieved by the relatively low damage inflicted by the earthquake, started visiting pubs and restaurants at lunch for a celebratory beer. With train and subway services disrupted, queues over 100 people long formed at some Nishitetsu bus stops in Tenjin as dusk approached.

The penetration of modern [[w:text messaging|text-messaging]] by the Japanese Keitai, the common Japanese cell phone system more prevalent than computer-based email, led to quick status checks on many family members located near the coast around Fukuoka, close to the quake's epicentre.  Wikinews contributor Oarih reports that cell phone service providers were swamped by the spike in use, however, and both voice and text services remained unreliable for much of the day.

==Sources==
*{{source|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-4879336,00.html
|title=Earthquake in Japan Kills 1, Injures 400
|author=Shizuo Kambayashi
|pub=Associated Press
|date=March 20, 2005}}

*{{source|url=http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050320/ap_on_re_as/japan_quake
|title=Japanese Earthquake Kills 1, Injures 381
|author=Kenji Hall
|pub=Associated Press
|date=March 20, 2005}}

*{{source|url=http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryID=1061
|title=19 hurt in Japan earthquake
|author=
|pub=ABS CBN News
|date=March 20, 2005}}

*{{source|url=http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/asiapcf/03/20/japan.quake/
|title=Scores injured in Japanese quake
|author=
|pub=CNN
|date=March 20, 2005}}

*{{source|url=http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2005/03/20/1111253872003.html?from=top5&oneclick=true
|title=Japan quake triggers tsunami warning
|author=
|pub=The Age
|date=March 20, 2005}}

*{{source|url=http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2005-03-20T024644Z_01_CAS009849_RTRUKOC_0_QUAKE-JAPAN.xml
|title=Strong earthquake hits southern Japan
|author=
|pub=Reuters
|date=March 20, 2005}}

*{{source|url=http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000101&sid=aL6qeioMnBZc&refer=japan
|title=Southern Japan Shaken By 7.0 Magnitude Earthquake
|author=
|pub=Bloomberg
|date=March 20, 2005}}

*{{source|url=http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=597062
|title=Powerful Quake Rattles Southern Japan, Prompting Tsunami Warning; No Reports of Damage, Injuries
|author=Kenji Hall ([[Associated Press|AP]])
|pub=ABC News (United States)
|date=March 20, 2005}}

{{original reporting}}

{{publish}}
{{archive}}

[[Category:Asia]]
[[Category:Japan]]
[[Category:Disasters and accidents]]
[[Category:Earthquakes]]

[[sv:2005/03/20: Kraftigt jordskalv i södra Japan, tsunamivarning utfärdad]]
Kyushu regionA powerful magnitude 7 earthquake rocked Japan's southwestern island of Kyushu at 10:53 am local time today (0153 UTC), prompting the Japanese Meteorological Agency to issue tsunami warnings for the area. The tsunami warnings were canceled later in the day.

A 75-year-old woman was killed in Fukuoka city by a falling wall. At least 400 people were injured by the quake. Local Fukuoka Airport and high speed bullet trains in the area temporarily suspended operations to look for damage.

According to the agency, the epicenter of the earthquake was in shallow water in the Sea of Japan, off the north coast of Fukuoka Prefecture.

Small aftershocks continued throughout the day, with authorities advising that residents should be prepared for aftershocks of up to magnitude 6.

In the aftermath of the quake, people were quickly alerted to the state of the situation by television reports, telephone, and text-messaging systems.

Fukuoka Building, located in Tenjin, downtown Fukuoka City following the quake.  Many stores remained closed.
Interviewed by telephone in Hitoyoshi, well inland from the epicenter of the quake, a local resident noted the severity of the quake was frightening, and left the elderly woman unable to remain seated on a chair. Shutting off gas was the first priority, with the local television coverage providing a quick status update for the situation, followed by an interruption by national emergency network coverage.

A foreign resident of Fukuoka city reported taking refuge under his desk for several minutes as books and ornaments fell from shelves. He prepared to evacuate to high ground in case of a tsunami, but news reports indicated little danger from a tsunami. He also reported that Japanese residents appeared unconcerned by the quake, with many strolling near Momochi beach shortly after the quake, showing little apparent concern.

An old wall surrounding a traditional house in Chuo-ku, Fukuoka crumbled during the earthquake.
In Tenjin, downtown Fukuoka, Fukuoka Building's windows shattered, and the block was quickly cordoned off.  In addition to Fukuoka Building, many other buildings and businesses remained closed to shoppers.

Wikinews contributor Oarih reports that a festive atmosphere pervaded the streets, however, as employees from Nishinihon Shimbun (a major Japanese newspaper) passed out one-page articles on the earthquake and curious onlookers investigated the damaged buildings and sidewalks.  Many residents, relieved by the relatively low damage inflicted by the earthquake, started visiting pubs and restaurants at lunch for a celebratory beer. With train and subway services disrupted, queues over 100 people long formed at some Nishitetsu bus stops in Tenjin as dusk approached.

The penetration of modern text-messaging by the Japanese Keitai, the common Japanese cell phone system more prevalent than computer-based email, led to quick status checks on many family members located near the coast around Fukuoka, close to the quake's epicentre.  Wikinews contributor Oarih reports that cell phone service providers were swamped by the spike in use, however, and both voice and text services remained unreliable for much of the day.

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sv:2005/03/20: Kraftigt jordskalv i södra Japan, tsunamivarning utfärdad
Asia Japan Disasters and accidents Earthquakes