Recent major earthquakes to hit Japan

Japan was struck on Friday by an earthquake with a magnitude of 8.9, the biggest in about 140 years.

Japan is one of the world’s most earthquake-prone countries, with a tremor occurring at least every five minutes.

Located in the “Ring of Fire” arc of volcanoes and oceanic trenches partly encircling the Pacific Basin, the country accounts for about 20 percent of the world”s earthquakes of magnitude 6.0 or greater.

Tokyo, with a population of 12 million, sits on the junction of four tectonic plates: the Eurasian, North American, Philippine and Pacific.

The sudden bending or breaking of any plate can trigger an earthquake.

Following are dates of some major recent quakes.

Aug. 16, 2005 – A major quake with a magnitude of 7.2 rocked a region about 300 km (190 miles) north of Tokyo, injuring more than 80 people.

Oct. 23, 2004 – A 6.8 magnitude quake hit the Niigata region, about 250 km (150 miles) north of Tokyo, killing 65 people and injuring 3,000.

Jan. 17, 1995 – A quake of 7.3 magnitude struck, killing more than 6,400 in the western city of Kobe in 1995. It caused $100 billion in damage and was the costliest natural disaster in history.

The Great Kanto earthquake on Sept. 1, 1923, had a magnitude of 7.9. It killed more than 140,000 people in the Tokyo area and seismologists have said another such quake could hit the city any time.

Turkish airspace closed to Israel

ANKARA: The state-run news agency quotes Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan as saying Turkey has closed its airspace to Israel.

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Turkish airspace closed to Israel

6 dead in Venezuela prison violence

CARACAS: Violence in a Venezuelan prison has left six inmates dead and 15 injured.

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Pak-US follow-up meeting on health sector

ISLAMABAD: US and Pakistani officials holding follow-up meeting in Islamabad to discuss health sector in the process initiated under the Pak-US Strategic Dialogue.

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Seven killed in Hyderabad blast

HYDERABAD: A blast in Hala Naka area of Hyderabad Monday killed at least seven persons and injuring more than 40 persons, ARY News reported.

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Eight killed as landslide derail China train

BEIJING: A passenger train hit by landslides derailed Sunday in eastern China, killing at least eight people and injuring more than 50 others, state television reported.

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Eight killed as landslide derail China train

India behind terrorism incidents in Pakistan

Lahore, Pakistan News :- Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif says that India is behind the terrorism incidents in North Waziristan and Balochistan.

He said that Pakistani nation is determined despite the worst incidents of terrorism. The CM went to inquire about the health of the victims who got injured in Moon Market blasts in Lahore yesterday. CM was talking to media after condoling with the injured.

Twin blasts in Lahore’s area of Iqbal Town had killed at least 49 people besides injuring more than 135.

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India behind terrorism incidents in Pakistan was first posted on December 8, 2009 at 1:52 pm.