Number of people injured in Japan earthquake rises to nearly 40

The number of people injured as a result of the magnitude 5.9 earthquake in the Greater Tokyo area has risen to nearly 40.

The tremor occurred on the night of August 23, with its epicenter in Ibaraki Prefecture at a depth of 68 kilometers. Most of the injuries were sustained by people in their homes — mainly bruises and falls while trying to leave the premises as the buildings swayed. Two of the injured have been hospitalized in serious condition.

In one of Tokyo's districts, the tremors caused water pipes to burst, which led to the flooding of a roadway, and in a number of residential buildings the elevators were automatically blocked. No serious damage to infrastructure or emergency situations at the country's nuclear facilities have been reported. Railway traffic, which had been temporarily suspended to inspect the tracks, has been fully restored.