More residents evacuate quake-hit remote islands in Japan
A total of 46 evacuees left Akusekijima and Kodakarajima aboard a ferry Sunday morning after a series of strong earthquakes rocked the Tokara chain islands in the village of Toshima, Kagoshima Prefecture, southwestern Japan.
The ferry, operated by the village, arrived at Kagoshima Port in the prefectural capital city of Kagoshima in the evening on the same day.
This is the second time that residents of Akusekijima have evacuated the island, and the first time for those of Kodakarajima.
The series of earthquakes with their epicentres in the seas around the Tokara Islands began on June 21. Since then, the islands have been hit by more than 1,500 quakes strong enough to be felt as of Sunday afternoon.
A jolt measuring lower than 6, the third highest on the Japanese seismic intensity scale, was observed on Akusekijima on Thursday, and 13 residents of the island who wished to evacuate took a ferry to the city of Kagoshima on Friday. Akusekijima experienced earthquakes measuring up to 5 on Saturday and Sunday.
Kodakarajima, located close to Akusekijima, has also been hit by many earthquakes, including one that measured lower than 5 on Wednesday.
[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
