6.4 Temblor Jolts Japanese Islands South of Tokyo, Killing Motorist
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TOKYO — A strong earthquake jolted Japanese islands south of Tokyo on Saturday, killing one person and injuring several. The quake also triggered landslides and cut power.
Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori sent troops and helicopters to the area to help with rescue work.
“Please do your utmost to protect human life and prevent further damage in cooperation with the Tokyo metropolitan government,” the Kyodo News Service quoted Mori as telling an urgently convened meeting of government officials.
The magnitude 6.4 quake struck the lightly populated islands of Kozushima and Niijima at 4:02 p.m. Its epicenter was about six miles beneath the seabed. Kozushima, 108 miles south of Tokyo, was hardest hit, the Meteorological Agency said.
Officials said a 32-year-old man was killed when his car was swept away by a rockslide. Two other vehicles were damaged.
Several residents of a senior home were injured.
Fire department officials with megaphones patrolled the streets in search of more injured.
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