Two Earthquakes Shake Japan

TOKYO – A strong earthquake rattled southern Japan early Monday followed by a milder temblor in the north the nation's meteorological agency said.

At least five people were injured from the magnitude-6.2 quake in the south, but no one died, Kyodo News agency reported. No injuries or damage were reported from the second quake, Kyodo said.

The first quake occurred at around 5 a87 miles underground in Oita Prefecture (state) on the southern island of Kyushu. It struck wide areas of southern and western Japan, Kyodo said.

The second one, which registered magnitude-4.8, was three hours later off the coast of Aomori in northern Japan.

The meteorological agency said there was no danger of a tsunami from either quake.

In western Japan's Hiroshima prefecture (state), an 82-year-old woman broke her leg as she fell on the ground while walking her dog, and a 14-year-old student was hit by a falling object and suffered a slight head injury, a police spokesman said on condition of anonymity citing protocol.

Three other people in southwestern prefectures (states) Ehime, Yamaguchi and Miyazaki also suffered minor injuries, Kyodo News agency reported.

Oita is about 500 miles southwest of Tokyo, and Aomori is 360 miles northeast of the capital.

Japan is one of the world's most quake-prone countries because it is located at the juncture of four tectonic plates, or moving slabs of the earth's outer crust.