7.1 Earthquake in Japan

[LYM]

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's strongest earthquake in five years shook broad swathes of western regions on Friday, injuring at least 21 people, destroying around two dozen homes and putting the area on alert for aftershocks.

The earthquake, measuring 7.3 on the Richter scale, struck at around 1:30 p.m. (5.30 a.m. British time), with its epicentre some 10 km (six miles) underground in largely rural western Tottori prefecture.

Bullet train service between Tokyo and the western metropolis of Osaka was temporarily halted but later resumed.

An electric power industry association official said no impact was reported on nuclear power plants in the area because they were shut for maintenance.

The tremor shook Japan's Suzuka race track, where the penultimate Formula One race of the season takes place on Sunday. Journalists at the circuit's media centre headed for the exits as the building swayed.

Companies with factories in the region said they had suffered no major damage, though some halted operations for inspection.

Japan is one of the world's most earthquake-prone regions, sitting atop the juncture of three tectonic plates, or pieces of the earth's crust. Tens of thousands of quakes have jolted the Izu island chain south of Tokyo in recent months.

Cross our fingers and pray hard guys....

[Nuvolari]

This might . . . might be bigger than Bernie.

[Jay]

Apparently Micheal Schumacher was on the track during the Quake. He said he didn't notice it.

[TimD]

According to my father, it was no earthquake.

Just Bernie dropping his wallet...

[SL]

Rubbish Tim,

It was only 7.1, surely Big Bernies wallet would be more than that

SL

[Ralf's Girl]

Of course it would!

[Gerard]

Well, how much does a credit card weigh then?