Fifty-two People Injured in Tokyo Earthquake

The number of people injured in the earthquake that struck Japan's capital Tokyo and surrounding areas on Thursday has risen to 52, the Fire and Disaster Management Agency (FDMA) the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications said on Friday.

The majority of patients were diagnosed with bruising and skin abrasions, sustained when the earthquake knocked them off their feet. However, some people suffered serious wounds, such as fractures or blunt force traumas caused by falling furniture. The majority of injuries were reported in the prefectures of Saitama and Tiba that border Tokyo.

By now, traffic along the majority of the region's rail and subway links was restored. However, delays and disruptions in public transportation have been reported almost everywhere in the disaster-hit zone, affecting almost 130,000 people.

A magnitude 5.9 quake jolted the Tokyo area on Thursday. Initially, it was said to be a 6.1-magnitude seismic event, but the Japan Meteorological Agency later revised those assessments. The epicenter of tremors was located on the border between the Tokyo and Tiba prefectures, at the depth of 75 kilometers. A tsunami alert was not issued, but seismologists warned about the possibility of new powerful aftershocks./TASS