Japan picks up pieces after earthquake shakes Osaka

TOKYO: At least three people were killed, including a nine-year-old girl, and more than 200 injured when a strong quake rocked Japan's second city of Osaka during Monday's morning rush hour.

The inland quake did not trigger a tsunami and no nuclear power plants in the vicinity reported abnormalities, but dozens of fires were reported in Osaka, Hyogo, Kyoto and Mie prefectures, according to local authorities. Power, water and gas were cut off in the area, with tens of thousands with no electricity. Many commuters were left stranded on their way to work.

Rina Miyake, a 9-year-old girl, died on her way to school after a wall several dozens of meters long around a swimming pool collapsed in Takatsuki. NHK public television aired footage showing the collapsed upper half of the high wall, which was cheerfully painted with trees, flowers and blue sky and surrounded the school swimming pool.

Takatsuki Mayor Takeshi Hamada apologised over her death because of the wall's collapse. The structure was old and made of concrete blocks -- a known risk in earthquakes.

Minoru Yasui, an 80-year-old resident of Osaka's Higashiyodogawa Ward, was killed after a wall collapsed over him.

Although its magnitude was relatively small, the quake is believed to have led to high-intensity tremors because of the shallow epicentre.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told reporters the government was "working united, with its first priority on saving people's lives."

Abe said he had instructed his staff to "swiftly collect information on damage, make utmost efforts in rescuing and saving lives... (and) provide timely and appropriate information to the public."

Local officials said they had not received reports of major damage in the highly-urbanised area, where roads and train tracks criss-cross around densely-packed apartment buildings.

NHK showed footage of firefighters tackling a blaze that ripped through a home north of Osaka city after the quake, and several broadcasters showed images of water gushing into the street from underground pipes.

Pictures circulating on social media showed electronic train announcement boards that had collapsed onto the platform at one local station, and broken glass at a ticket counter.

The quake struck at 8am, as platforms would have been heaving with passengers waiting to board their commuter trains to work.

A number of train services were suspended, including the "shinkansen" bullet train.

The Nuclear Regulation Authority said it had detected no problems at any of the region's atomic power plants.

Kansai Electric said on its website that around 170,000 homes in the Osaka region were without power.

Despite having a relatively low magnitude, the quake caused quite a shake, registering a lower six on the Japanese experiential scale of up to seven, meaning it is hard to stay standing.

Multiple small aftershocks followed, and an official from Japan's meteorological agency warned residents to remain on guard.

"There are fears that the risk of house collapses and landslides has increased in the areas shaken strongly," said Toshiyuki Matsumori, in charge of monitoring quakes at the agency.

"Please make sure that you are fully on alert about seismic activities and information on rainfall, and stay clear of dangerous places."

Dozens of domestic flights in and out of Osaka were grounded, while train and subway service in the Osaka area including the bullet train were suspended to check for damage. Passengers exited trains on the tracks between stations.

Some subway service resumed in the afternoon, but train stations remained crowded with passengers waiting for trains to restart, many of them sitting on the floor. Long lines of people waited to board bullet trains as they resumed operation.

Major manufacturers such as Honda Motor Co and Mitsubishi Motors Corp resumed operations at their plants on Monday afternoon.

Honda restarted the production line at its Suzuka factory in Mie Prefecture after confirming safety. Mitsubishi Motors briefly shut down production at two plants in Kyoto and Shiga prefectures, while Daihatsu Motor Co, a subsidiary of Toyota Motor Corp, suspended operations at two plants in Osaka and Kyoto prefectures.

Following the magnitude-6.1 quake, Panasonic Corp stopped operations at two plants in Osaka Prefecture as some workers were unable to get to work due to traffic disruption. At least 29 employees were slightly injured either at home or on the way to work, the electronics maker said.

Sharp Corp. confirmed there was no damage to its display panel plant in Sakai, Osaka. Air conditioner maker Daikin Industries Ltd said one of its chemical plants in the prefecture suspended operations automatically.

Department store operators in the prefecture decided not to open as scheduled or to close early.

The restaurant industry was also affected.

Yoshinoya Holdings Co, operator of the Yoshinoya "gyudon" beef bowl restaurant chain, temporarily closed around 40 outlets, some of which reopened are safety checks were completed.

Japan Post Co said parcel and express mail deliveries in the Kinki and other regions could be delayed for around half a day.

JXTG Nippon Oil & Energy Corp. said a refinery in Osaka Prefecture operated by one of its subsidiaries suspended production and shipments.

Japan sits on the so-called Pacific "Ring of Fire" where a large proportion of the world's earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are recorded.

On March 11, 2011, a devastating magnitude 9.0 quake struck under the Pacific Ocean, and a resulting tsunami caused widespread damage and claimed thousands of lives.

It also sent three reactors into meltdown at the Fukushima nuclear plant, causing Japan's worst postwar disaster and the most serious nuclear accident since Chernobyl in 1986.