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Magnitude 5.7 earthquake hits Japan as the country braces for Typhoon Hagibis

12 October 2019 16:42 (UTC +04:00)

A magnitude 5.7 earthquake hit Japan at 6:22 p.m. local time (9:22 a.m. GMT) on Saturday with its epicentre off Chiba Prefecture, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. No tsunami warning has been issued by the authorities so far, APA reports citing Sputnik.

The earthquake comes as the country is simultaneously dealing with a powerful typhoon, Hagibis, that is approaching the Kanto region.

There is no official information about casualties as a result of the tremor in the country, which is currently preparing for extremely heavy rains and winds being brought by Typhoon Hagibis. Meteorologists are comparing it with the powerful Typhoon Ida, which devastated the country in 1958, claiming the lives of 1,269 people.

Due to the looming danger, Tokyo has ordered 50,000 people to evacuate, also calling on another 4.2 million residents to leave endangered districts in order to avoid casualties.