Powerful earthquake hits Japan, tremors felt across region

Tokyo (The Uttam Hindu): A strong earthquake struck Japan late Saturday night, measuring 6.0 on the Richter scale. According to the National Seismological Center, the epicenter was 50 kilometers deep. The tremor was recorded near Japan's east coast, in the Honshu region.

Japan shaken by earthquake; intensity measured on Richter scale: The National Seismological Center posted on X that the earthquake had a magnitude of 6.0, while its epicenter was located at 37.45° north latitude and 141.52° east longitude. Japan is located in a highly seismically active zone, called the 'Ring of Fire'. This region stretches along the edges of the Pacific Ocean and is the center of most of the world's volcanic and seismic activity.

Japan is frequently struck by earthquakes, both large and small. The country boasts the world's most advanced seismic monitoring network, which records every movement. Despite this, devastating earthquakes have occasionally caused significant devastation. These include the 2024 Noto earthquake, the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, the 2004 Chuetsu earthquake, and the 1995 Great Hanshin earthquake.

The Shindo scale is used to measure earthquakes in Japan, which measures the intensity felt at a particular location. The scale ranges from zero to seven, with Shindo seven being considered the deadliest. Shindo five and six have subclasses such as "weak" or "strong," which reflect the actual intensity of the shaking and the level of damage caused.

Earthquakes with a magnitude of Shindo four and below are considered mild, while earthquakes with a magnitude of Shindo five and above can damage furniture, walls, buildings, roads and public facilities such as gas pipes and water lines.