A 6.1 magnitude earthquake shook the western Japanese city of Osaka on Monday, collapsing buildings and injuring more than 300 people. At least three people have died.
The earthquake began at around 8 a.m. local time, during morning rush hour. While the earthquake was centered near Osaka, it affected a large portion of western Japan.
At least three people have been reported to have died from the earthquake so far: two men in their 80s and a 9-year-old girl. The young girl was killed by a concrete wall that fell on her while she was walking at her elementary school.
The government officially reported that 307 people were injured in the earthquake, but national broadcaster NHK reported that the number of injured was at least 350.
Around 700 people were reportedly in evacuation centers, according to NHK. Local airports and trains were shut down, and 170,000 people were temporarily without power. Several scattered, small fires also broke out as a result of the damage.
Reuters reported that no damage was reported at the nearby Mihama, Takahama, and Ohi nuclear power plants, averting another Fukushima-esque disaster.
While Japan declared that the earthquake registered at 6.1, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) measured it at a 5.3 magnitude.
According to the USGS, any earthquake 5.9 or below shold cause “negligible” damage to “buildings of good design and construction,” but could cause “considerable damage in poorly built or badly designed structures.” An earthquake over 6.0, however, could result in damage to even well-built structures.
According to a BBC report, Japan's meteorological agency said that there could be another earthquake, and a big one, within the next few days.
Officials warn that rain and landslides could still cause additional damage in areas destabilized by the earthquake.
A slightly less intense 5.6 magnitude earthquake struck Guatemala three-and-a-half hours after the quake in Japan. However, officials in that country, which had recently been hit by a deadly volcanic eruption, reported that the earthquake did not cause any damage or injuries.
